Fire & Desire
by PoisonInTheWine
Summary: Was it a cruel act of fate, or an ancient prophecy that brought Kiera Black and her gifts to Westeros? In this different song of Ice and Fire, Kiera learns to fight for whom she loves most, and plays a pawn in the most dangerous game. (Jon x OC)
1. Prologue

Revised as of 04/16/2017

Hello everyone! Just to quickly note, this story is a big work in progress. I am writing this segment in 2018, and continuing on with the story. The beginning of this may be strange and a bit rough, but I am working to improve this story with each chapter. Please review and tell me what you like, or what you hate. Criticism is the greatest compliment. Anyways, thank you for taking the time to hear me out :) xx

* * *

 **Some say the world will end in fire.**

 **Some say in ice**

 **From what I've tasted of desire**

 **I hold with those who favor fire**

 **But if it had to perish twice**

 **I think I know enough of hate**

 **To say that for destruction ice**

 **Is also great**

 **And would suffice.**

 **-R.F**

Prologue

* * *

The smell was awful. Bodies were piled on top of each other, and blood was everywhere. I faintly heard the sound of clattering swords in combat, and the cries of men at war. I felt the whisper of darkness creep into me as I slew man after man. I could not see their faces, or hear their screams. I only saw darkness. The feeling of raw power vibrated from my head to my feet, and I became unstoppable. Fire flowed through my fingertips and set every enemy ablaze.

I knew I should stop. I should fight the darkness.

But I liked it.

Present Day

I was painfully aware of two things at the moment. First, I was profoundly wasted. Secondly, my friends have left me. I carefully got off of my barstool and began to push my way through the sweaty mass of bodies that inhabited the nightclub. After stumbling through the back exit, I leaned over a nearby trashcan and vomited. I felt the stares of onlookers as they quickly walked by me.

I sat by the trash can until my head stopped spinning. Standing slowly, I began to make my way down the street. Thirty minutes later, I found myself lost. I looked for a street name, but found nothing. Loud rap music filled my ears as a rusted red Cadillac pulled up to my side of the street. I kept my pace, knowing better than to look behind me.

"What's a pretty lady like you doing out in these streets this late at night?" a man asked. He looked to be around my age. He had a scruffy beard and a blue hoody that obscured the rest of his face. He wasn't alone either. Three other men were with him. He tilted his head awaiting my reply.

"Bar hopping with friends, I'm on my way to the next one right now actually." I lied. He laughed obnoxiously, along with the rest of the men.

"Baby you're lost. No bar is over in these parts. Next one is blocks down. I could drive you if you want. We got room." He said. One of the men snickered and looked at me with hooded eyes. A chill flew down my spine as I tried to guess what his thoughts were.

"No I'm good, but thank you for offering." I said quickly. I turned on my heels and began to walk a little bit faster. I cut through a few allies and side streets until I thought I was safe. But then I heard a car door open, along with a few more. I didn't dare turn around as I heard them call after me. I rounded the corner and found myself in a neighborhood with small, older houses. I walked down the sidewalk looking for a store, or police station, or hospital. Anything that could get me out of the night and to somewhere where I could call my brother and get home.

"Hey! We ain't done sweetheart, why don't you come back here with us so we don't have any issues." A man called. I turned around to see them far behind me, but following.

"I said I'm fine. Why don't you stop following me so we don't have any issues." I snapped back. The four men laughed and continued approaching.

"You don't seem like the intimidating type honey, no offense." One of them said. The closer they came to me the more anger I felt rising within my body. My hands radiated warmth and I felt my pulse quicken.

"I'm warning you, back away from me. Now." I said, gritting my teeth. The heat was getting unbearable. I felt like I was going to explode.

"Or what, you're gonna cry for help? Sorry to break it to you babe, but this neighborhood doesn't give a shit about a screaming girl. In fact, they hear it all the time." He said grinning. He grabbed me by the waist and slid his rough hand up my shirt and under my bra to grab my breast. I kicked and snarled as they pinned me down and began to tear at my clothes.

I wasn't in control anymore of the heat. I screamed as it burst from every inch of my body. A bright light filled my vision as I dimly heard the horrified and pained screams of the men around me. I felt my body getting lighter. The heat had left my body and spread around me. The light was still clouding my vision from where I was. I faintly saw the bodies of the men lying motionless on the ground. I killed them. My heat burned them alive. I hated death but in this moment I felt no remorse for what I did. I tried to move but I found my muscles incapable to function.

I heard a car screech to a stop and a car door open, footsteps followed. Through the blinding light I watched as police cars began to gather and an ambulance followed shortly after. I felt oddly at peace in this moment, as the entire street was erupting with chaos in the early hours of the morning. I felt a hand slide under my head and a man's face came into view. He wasn't a police officer or a paramedic. He was dressed in dark clothing and a necklace dangled into my line of vision. I couldn't make out what was on the necklace, but his eyes distracted me. They glowed a brilliant gold, eerily similar to my own. He stared at me for a moment then lifted me up an inch more.

"Keira, I'm afraid your time here is coming to an end." He said. No shit Sherlock, I'm clearly dying. As if he knew what I just thought in my head, he chuckled.

"I'm going to give you this," he said, taking off his necklace and shifting me into his lap so he could fasten it onto my neck.

"I need you to listen very carefully Keira, do not leave me yet. You were not meant to be in this world. I am not meant to be either. I have similar gifts as you, but not in the magnitude that you possess. You are going to die, and be reincarnated into another world. I do not know more than what I am telling you, for it was in a prophecy given to me by the gods. I was supposed to tell you this when the time was right, but I fear that if I do not tell you now, I will never get the chance again. Do not throw away your gifts Keira, they have a greater importance then you think. I wish you well child." I squinted at him with my mouth agape. I could not believe what I was hearing.

"I don't under-"

"Shh, you don't have much time now. I also have this for you. Carry it with you always, it is very powerful." He handed me a small curved blade. On the hilt of the blade was an engraving of a dragon engulfed in flame. I stared at it in awe. .

"My cloaking spell will wear off in a few moments. By then you will be gone from here." He said.

"Can I ask who the hell you are?" I whispered. He chuckled again.

"I am Eddith Targaryen. And you are dying."

Before I could even process what he said, the blinding light faded and darkness began to seep into my eyes. I felt no concept of time. I felt weightless as my mind drifted into nothing. Soon everything faded, and I was gone.


	2. Chapter One

Revised as of 04/17/17

Chapter 1: Introductions

* * *

May 26th 1999

I awoke to the sound of birds chirping. I sat up slowly, taking in my surroundings. _This is my old home,_ I realized. The ranch house was the place I was born in. I turned to see my father mowing the lawn. My mother was sitting on the front porch with my brother, Kyle. He looked no older then ten. Everything seemed strangely normal.

I stood up and watched as my mother looked in my direction, "Mom?" I called. If she heard me she did not show it. I ran over to her and reached for her hand, but it went right through her body. What is this?

Suddenly my mother stood up quickly and ran towards the street to the younger me, "Kiera don't go near the road, it's dangerous!". She grabbed my hand and lead me back into the yard. I then noticed that my father had stopped mowing the lawn and was speaking to a man dressed in strange, outdated clothing. He looked distressed.

"Mommy who is that?" Kyle asked. My mother looked at the exchange and frowned, "I don't know, why don't you take your sister inside and play?" she told him. Kyle grunted and begrudgingly took my hand. I watched as she pushed us through the front door and locked it. She quickly walked down to the edge of the yard and stood by my father, who looked worried. I tried to get closer so I could hear, but I found my feet frozen in place.

I felt as if I was in a bubble, I could not hear anything, or move. I could only watch as the stranger pulled a knife out of the folds of his clothing and slit my father's throat. I faintly heard myself screaming as I watched my father drop to the ground. My mother was hunched over his body, her torso shaking violently as she cried. The man brought his knife down on her next, and she too joined my father on the ground. Blood was pooling everywhere. I dropped to my knees, too weak to stand.

The man suddenly jerked and turned in my direction. He began to walk toward me, his face obscured by a hood. Before he could reach me however, the image was gone.

* * *

I was floating. There was nothing in sight, except for the blue sky above me and the water below. I felt strangely at peace.

I felt a hand at my shoulder, and then I was no longer in water. I was laying on a rock, a figure dressed in white stood above me. It possessed no face.

"Keira Black. You are in the midway. I am an Aid. I give you the choice of two paths, either of which is yours to choose. The gods have given you a second chance, do not take it lightly." It said.

"A man told me there is a prophecy I must fulfill, what the hell does that mean?" I asked. The Aid was silent for a moment.

"I do not know."

"Bullshit."

"I do not know." He repeated, "I only know that the gods have given you two paths to choose. You will know which one to pick. They have granted you another chance at life. Whether that entails a prophecy- I cannot say."

I turned away from the aid and saw a small boat, ahead there were two streams. One looked calm, while the other looked fast and dangerous.

"How will I know which one to go down?" I asked.

"I do not know." Relied the Aid. _It truly provides no aid if it cannot answer any of my questions._

"Before I ended up here, I watched my parents die. Was that real?" I said.

"Yes." It said quietly, "The gods wanted you to see it."

"But why? Is this even real? Am I actually dead, or is it just all in my head?"

The Aid was quiet for a moment before it spoke, "Just because it is in your head does not mean it isn't real. Go now, you cannot remain here forever."

I stepped tentatively into the boat, and grasped the oar. I glanced back at the Aid, but it wasn't there anymore. Nor was the rock, there was only the two streams. I stared at them for a moment, the stream to the right looked dangerous and rough. But I felt drawn to it. I slowly paddled until its current swept me up, and I soon lost control of the boat. The waters pulled me under, and once again my world faded into darkness.

* * *

I came to my senses slowly, first I heard masculine voices. Two. No three. I wasn't sure. Faint wind sent chills running through my body. The voices grew nearer, but I dared not open my eyes. If I played dead, maybe the voices would leave. Only they did not. I wanted to get up and run, but my body ached from head to toe. I would not make it far before they caught up to me. I continued to lie still as they got closer.

"Robb, look over here. She is still, is she dead?" said one voice, it had a thick European accent. I felt a hand on my wrist, and then on my neck.

"No she is alive, but barely." Responded the second voice.

"Well come on, I'll carry her. She needs a healer. Any longer and she'll die of the cold."

"Jon what if she's a spy, or worse. We risk our safety taking someone we have no knowledge of back into Winterfell."

"Does she look like a spy to you? To me she looks like an injured girl who's in need of healing. I reckon we take her back to Winterfell, shouldn't leave her here to die." Jon responded.

I felt myself being lifted off of the ground and the man holding me began to walk. I let my head drift near his chest. He smelled of the woods. I liked that scent. I slowly opened my eyes to sneak a glance at my captor. He had scruffy facial hair and dark curls framing his brown eyes. I admired him for a second more and then shut my eyes once again. Trying to fight off the fatigue was useless, so I let my body slump in the man's arms and drift off into a dreamless slumber.

 **Jon's POV**

"So you discovered her in the woods hunting, and you had no suspicion if she was a spy or not? Why would you risk our safety to bring some woman from some unknown land because you felt pity?" demanded Catelyn. I sighed. I turned to Father for help but he simply grunted and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"He was only trying to help, Cat. Leave em' be." He said.

"Find out who she is. Once she is healed she will leave Winterfell at once." She said and then stalked out of the room.

"Forgive her, in her heart she has the best intentions." Ned said. I nodded. Catelyn will always have a disliking for me. I know it and so does Father, but he chooses not to speak of it. Never once in all of my years has she ever made me feel like a son. I didn't belong with the Starks in her eyes. Shaking my head of the unpleasant thoughts, I made my way to the healers wing of the castle. As I walked through the doors I noticed she was the only one who was in there. An older woman walked up to me and bowed,

"Lord Snow, she will be alright. Her injuries were minor, a few cuts but nothing that will cost her life. She has injured her left ankle and will not possess the ability to walk for quite some time. A lot of rest will be needed in her case." She bowed once more as I gave her my regards and left the wing.

I walked over to the woman, getting a good look at her for the first time. Her hair was dark and curly, reaching as low as her hips. It was a deep crimson. She had a slender face and many freckles lining her nose.

She began to stir, and I took a step back. Her eyes opened softly, glancing around the room before landing on me. I was shocked by the color, they were a brilliant gold.

"Hello my Lady, I am Jon Snow. You are in a healer's wing in Winterfell, might I ask your name?" I asked smiling softly at her. She stared at me for a long moment, many emotions showing in her eyes before she spoke.

"Kiera Black. Hello Jon Snow."

 **Keira's POV**

"Lady Kiera, it is a pleasure to meet you. I'm afraid I wish the circumstances were better." He said chuckling. "I have to ask, how did you come about here? You almost lost your life out in the woods." He asked curiously. I was at a loss for words. I didn't know if I should tell the honest truth, or make up a lie to protect my secret. I opened and closed my mouth several times, not knowing how to start.

"Forgive me, you had just awakened, we can speak later about this issue. For now, you need to eat." Jon said. He walked out of the room promising an immediate return.

I took this time to glance around my surroundings. A fireplace stood in the corner, tables and beds surrounded the room. My bed had a thick fur blanket, to which I snuggled into gratefully. The bed itself was not exactly comfortable, but the blankets were soft enough. My entire body ached, and my ankle felt even worse. I felt exhausted again, but before I could fall asleep, Jon entered the room with a tray of food.

"Soup is easy enough to keep down, thought you might like some ale also." He muttered placing the tray by my bedside. I tried to sit up but my body rejected the gesture, and I fell back into the furs.

"Here, let me help you." Jon said as he carefully slid an arm under my back and lifted me to a sitting position. I smiled in gratitude and began to eat my soup. It was a basic broth with a few veggies, but it wasn't disgusting, just in need of salt. I took a sip of the ale and gagged. Jon chuckled once again.

"What is this? It's awful." I said, sipping my soup in attempt to rid myself of the disgusting drink.

"It's ale. I take it you are not accustomed." He responded. I nodded.

"Um, I know this will probably sound odd but, can you tell me where I am? I understand I am in Winterfell, but I am unsure of everything else." I said frowning. I glanced at him and met his puzzled expression.

"You are in the capitol of the North, in Westeros. Winterfell is ruled by my family, House Stark." He replied. Westeros. Winterfell. Stark. Easy enough to remember.

"So, you're royalty basically. Like a prince." He grimaced at the word,

"My father is Eddard Stark, I am his bastard son. I have no knowledge of my mother. He brought me here to live with him and married my stepmother, Catelyn Stark. I have five half-siblings. Robb is the oldest. Then there is Sansa, Arya, Bran and Rickon." He explained.

"From what I understand, you're considered the black sheep of the family? Because Catelyn is not your birthmother? It's common where I am from to have children from different parents." I said. He frowned in confusion.

"It is custom to have a lesser liking toward a bastard. A bastard does not get their father's inheritance often, nor do they have claims to a house. I am not legitimately a Stark, it is why my name is Jon Snow and not Jon Stark. Catelyn does not consider me her son. She despises me really, when my father is around she tends to be civil. But I know she wishes Father never brought me back to Winterfell in the first place." Jon said, his eyes were saddened. I felt the urge to take his hand, so I did. He glanced at me surprisingly.

"Your customs are shit. I do not know you very well Jon, but from what I have gathered, you are a good man. A good man does not deserve to be despised for something he cannot control." I told him. His mouth went agape, I smiled.

"You took me into your home not knowing who I am because it was the right thing. You could have left me to die, but you did not. I want you to know that I am grateful."

He looked at a loss for words.

"Did I say something wrong?" I asked nervously.

Jon shook his head, "Never in my life has anyone told me I am a good man. Not even my father. I'm afraid I do not understand you, Lady Keira. Many women do not spare me a glance because of who I am. Thank you for saying that." He said sincerely. I smiled again.

"It is only the truth." I responded.

"If you do not mind Lady Kiera, my father wishes to speak to you. He will not bring you any ill will, he is just curious as to who you are. Everyone else is also. Would you mind having a word with him? If you are too ill I can tell him you need more rest and-"

"It's alright, I will speak to him." I told him. He nodded quickly and rose to exit the room.

"Oh, and Jon?" I said. He turned around.

"Yes, Lady Kiera?" he said.

"Please, just refer to me as Kiera. I hate being called a Lady." he gave me yet another puzzled look.

"But you are a woman, are you not?" he asked, tilting his head with a ghost of a smirk on his face.

"Of course, but please call me Keira." I said laughing. He chuckled and shook his head.

"Alright, Lady Kiera. My father will be in shortly. You can address him as Lord Stark." He bowed, and then exited the room. I continued to sit up for a while until a man knocked on the entrance of the doors.

"May I enter?" the man asked.

"Yes sir." I said nodding. He entered and bowed.

"I am Eddard Stark, Jon's father. But please, call me Ned. No need for formalities, as Jon informed me that you prefer to be called Keira." He said, a twinkle of amusement in his eyes. I nodded.

"I'm afraid my manners are too informal to be graced with the term 'lady'." I said. He laughed.

"My younger daughter Arya feels the same. I am afraid she prefers swords to dolls and pants to dresses. It is quite alright." He said. He moved to sit on the edge of my bed.

"When my sons entered Winterfell, I am afraid I thought you were a spy or wildling. Now that I have met you it does not seem the case. Although, I would like to know where you came from if you are to continue your stay in Winterfell." I nodded. Not a spy, and I have no idea what a wildling is either. I took a deep breath and prayed he would not cut my head off the second I opened my mouth.

"I do not want you to think I am lying my Lord, but what I am going to tell you is the absolute truth. Please I ask you to be open minded." I said, my hands slightly raised. He stared at me long and hard before he finally nodded.

"My name is Kiera Black. A day ago I was in a city called Miami. I was dying in the streets and a man named Eddith Targaryen came to me and told me that I would wake up in a world that was not my own. I died and visited this place, I do not know where. But a cloaked man told me to pick my path, in which I did. I died again, and I woke up in the woods. I heard your two sons. I was awake but I couldn't move. I know this sounds completely outrageous but I can swear to you I am not insane. I-"

"I believe you." He whispered. I stopped mid sentence and stared at him.

"You believe me?"

"Yes."

"How?" I asked. He glanced down, not meeting my gaze.

"Because I know who Eddith Targaryen is. He is the brother of Rhaegar and son of Rhaella Targaryen. I knew him when I was younger, my late sister, Lyanna knew them and of Eddith's abilities. She told me and I had to meet him myself. He explained to me how he can cross worlds, slow his aging, and other powers that he possessed. He was powerful, but he died in war. Or so I thought. If you met him then he is not dead." Ned said. I was shocked. He knows Eddith. I met him. My story did not seem so bizarre at all now.

"I have to ask Kiera, how exactly did you die? And did you see Eddith after that?"

"A group of men were following me late at night after I had come out of a bar. I was drunk and lost. They cornered me and did unspeakable things. For many years I had kept my powers at bay, I thought myself to be a freak. I'm very limited on to what I can do. But I was so afraid and angry, I killed them and it must have taken all of the life out of me in the process. Eddith found me and told me in my final moments that there is a prophecy I must fulfill, and my gifts are important. He never mentioned where I would go. And then I died." I finished. He nodded, deep in thought. Suddenly, I heard a woman's voice outside of the hospital wing.

"Jon, why are you standing outside of the wing.." My heart stopped, apparently Ned's did the same. He glanced at me then to the doorway.

"Jon, come in." he said sternly. Jon slouched around the corner wide eyed and embarrassed.

"What have you heard. Tell me every detail." Ned said urgently.

"Everything my Lord." Jon replied. Not meeting my eyes. His fists were clenched. Ned sighed.

"Swear to me you will not mention this to Catelyn, Robb or anyone else. It is important you mention nothing. Word will spread that a Child of the Moon is in Winterfell, and she will be in danger." Ned said.

"Wait, what did you just call me?" I asked. The two looked at me.

"A Child of the Moon, that is what you are. Eddith is one also. Long ago, before the Mad King executed almost every individual blessed with your powers, many Children of the Moon roamed the lands. Some were evil and corrupt, and others used their abilities to protect the houses." Explained Ned. I sat there in shock. There was so much to process.

"I… I don't know what to say." I said. His eyes looked apologetic.

"I understand Kiera. It is much to handle all at once. I will leave you to rest and think about everything. You can remain here until you are well enough to walk on your feet, then we will find you a room to stay in the castle. You are most welcome under my eyes. I will explain everything to my wife, but for now, keep your identity to yourself. You are an orphan from House Tully and came to Winterfell for a place to live. Are you capable of managing that?"

I nodded eagerly and glanced at Jon. He did not meet my gaze, instead he stared at the floor.

"Thank you so much for understanding and your hospitality my Lord. I promise I will not be a burden here. As soon as I am healed I can work in the kitchens or wherever you need me as payment." I said. He nodded and bowed before he walked out the room,

"I will leave you to rest Kiera. I bid you good night. Sleep well." He said. A healer came in and checked on my injuries. Not long after I felt my eyes grow heavy, and I soon fell asleep.


	3. Chapter Two

Revised as of 04/20/17

Chapter 2: New Beginnings

* * *

 _I found myself standing on a mountain. Winter had come. I felt frozen, like I was made of ice._

 _Through the thick snowflakes raining down, a figure was approaching. As it came closer, I was able to make out its appearance._

 _It's skin was pale, and the eyes were an eerie blue. It opened its mouth, but no words were spoken. I glanced down at myself and noticed that my hands were white as snow._

 _Suddenly I was in the creature's point of view, looking at myself._

 _Icy blue eyes were staring back at me._

I sat up quickly, panting from the dream. I felt the beads of sweat forming on my forehead as I climbed out of the black furs covering my bed. I dressed quickly and limped out of the healer's wing. I grimaced at the soreness that plagued my body.

I made my way through the halls, blindly turning in random directions until I found a door that led outside. Torches lit up the courtyard, while the moon emitted a subtle white glow. I wrapped my jacket tightly around my body as I found a bench to sit on.

"Lady Kiera?" a voice called, I turned to see Jon Snow watching me.

"Hello, um- I had a bad dream and I just needed some air."

"My apologies, I could not sleep. I have been up for hours." He replied.

I patted the spot next to the bench and smiled slightly, "Come sit with me." He looked a bit reluctant, but he sat anyways.

"I wanted to thank you- for bringing me here. I would probably be dead if I you didn't find me." I said.

"You are welcome, my father would have my head if I didn't."

We sat in comfortable silence for a while. I shivered from the chill that blew through the air, and I saw Jon glance at me with uncertainty, "Can I ask you some questions?".

"Ask me anything, I'm sure you're wondering about me." I replied. He stared down at his hands for a moment before speaking again, "What was it like where you came from?".

"Warm. Sunny, but it rained a lot. Hurricanes were troublesome."

Jon looked confused, "A hurry-cane?" I laughed at his confusion.

"A hurricane is a tropical storm, lots of rain and wind. They can be deadly depending on how severe." I relied.

"I am grateful I live in Winterfell." He said, a ghost of a smile on his face, "Tell me more."

"I was born in Virginia, but my family moved to Miami when I was young. After they died, my brother and I moved deeper into the city. I went to university for a few years then dropped out of it, wasn't for me. I wanted to be a journalist, but the dream died." For a moment my heart longed for Kyle, and I wondered what he was doing right now. Did he know I was gone? How much time had passed? Jon looked puzzled, but he didn't elaborate.

"I am sorry for your…loss." He replied. I shook my head, "It isn't a loss, my life had no purpose. I just miss my brother." I said. His eyes showed understanding.

"Robb is my brother, even if we don't share the same mother. I would be lost without him." He said. I knew how he felt, Kyle kept me stable. He understood me, I didn't feel like a freak of nature when I was with him.

"Kyle is my best friend. I would have episodes sometimes at school, where I lost my temper and things happened that were out of my control. I would set things on fire and break everything. I didn't mean to, but when I get angry my body loses control. Kyle would be there to calm me down." I explained. I looked back at Jon and his eyes were wide.

"These powers you posses, only few in history have been known to have them. But they are all dead. There must be a reason you came here." He said. I bit my lip in thought, "I have no idea what they are. I was born with them. My parents kept me sheltered when they were alive. They wanted no one to know. When I was little, I could make things move with my mind. I don't know how I do it, it just happens."

"So you have no control?" Jon asked. I shook my head, "From what I know, the episodes happen when I am scared or angry. I learned to remain calm and keep my heart rate low. Kyle would mediate with me, as long as I am relaxed- I can't hurt anyone."

"It's not any day a woman appears mysteriously in Winterfell possessing magical powers." Jon said. I smiled, "It is just as strange for me as it is to you." I said. In the dark, I noticed the soft black curls that adorned Jon's head. I suddenly felt the urge to run my hand through them, but I resisted. A blush crept up my cheeks and I hoped the night concealed it.

"Tell me about Westeros." I said to Jon. He rubbed his chin in thought, "Well, I guess I can start with the houses…"

Hours had passed as Jon told me stories of kingdoms and families. I felt my eyelids getting heavier and heavier as the night continued on. Eventually, Jon began to talk quieter, and his voice faded into a peaceful silence between the two of us.

"I think it is time I go back to my bed." I said after a while.

"You will make it back just in time before the healers arrive. They will have your head if they found your bed empty." Jon explained as he escorted me back.

"How long will I be in here?" I asked.

"Your ankle won't take long to heal, my father will fix a chamber for you to stay in soon." He said.

"Your father is a good man."

Jon smiled,"He's honorable. A leader no doubt." I had only just met Ned, but he seemed like a man with a good head on his shoulders. We reached the healer's wing and Jon led me to my bed.

"Thank you for taking me back." I said. Jon bowed his head, "The pleasure is all mine. I look forward to making your acquaintance." He replied. He turned and began to walk out.

"Where are you going?" I asked. He looked back at me, "To sleep my Lady. The Lannisters are arriving tomorrow, we must all be well rested and prepared for their arrival."

I couldn't help but notice the slight note of sarcasm in his voice. Jon spoke of the Lannisters, and how Robert Baratheon sat on the Iron Throne in King's Landing. Something about the family did not sit right in my mind.

"Right. Sleep well." I replied. He gave me a quiet smile and a bow once more before he left. I fell back into my bed and let sleep overtake me.

 _I was sitting at my school desk, nodding off as the teacher blandly lectured about American history. I noticed a boy with platinum blonde hair walk into the class. He took a seat in the desk adjacent to my own._

 _"Hello. I'm Eddith." He said, turning to face me. I smiled politely, "I'm Kiera, are you new here?" I asked._

 _"First day. My parents thought I could finish senior year at public school." He replied. I inwardly rolled my eyes, he was one of those private school preps. He smirked, as if he could read my thoughts._

 _"What school did you transfer from?" I asked curiously. I noticed his eyes were pale blue, they made his skin and hair look even whiter. Like snow._

 _"Doesn't matter, you won't remember this anyways. Not time yet." He replied. Before I could ask him what he was talking about, he was gone._

I was awakened by an unfamiliar voice, "My Lady? It is morning. Lord Stark requests you for breakfast, if you are well enough."

I sat up slowly in the bed and stretched my limbs. I had no memory of what I dreamt. My body still ached, but it was better than yesterday. I looked at the girl standing at my bedside, she had short brown hair and dull eyes. She appeared no more than sixteen.

"I am well enough, thank you." I said. The maid bowed and helped me out of the bed, "A bath is being drawn, Lord Stark has requested that clothing be made for you- but I'm afraid it won't be ready for a few days. I have fetched a dress for you in the meantime." She explained. I smiled gratefully. I never was a fan of dresses, but this was Westeros. It is a different world now.

The maid led me into the washroom and helped me bathe. I felt uncomfortable, but she insisted this was customary. She untangled my hair and washed it with oils. My body felt soft and clean again.

"Your hair is beautiful." She said while combing it.

"Thank you. It's always a chore taking care of it though."

The maid smiled, "It is worth the trouble. I will braid it traditionally. You will look like one of Catelyn Stark's children when I'm done with you." She said.

"What is your name?" I asked as she combed through my hair.

"Lana."

"That's a beautiful name." I said as I felt her tugging lightly on my hair.

"Thank you, my Lady. You are kind."

I sat silently while she braided and twisted my hair. She then dressed me in a navy blue dress and furs that resembled traditional Winterfell attire. When I finally looked at myself in the mirror, I was shocked by the reflection. My eyes looked brighter then ever against the dark fabrics, and my hair burned brighter than a flame.

"As I said, beautiful." Lana said. I turned and hugged her slightly. She was surprised, but she wrapped her little arms around my torso, "Thank you."

Lana lead me to the dining hall. I wished to see Jon before I met the rest of the Starks, but having Lana by my side was better then nothing.

A long table sat in the halls, and seated were all of the Starks. Jon's eyes flickered towards me when I entered the hall, and suddenly everyone was quiet. Ned stood up at the front of the table, "Lady Kiera, please join us. My children are eager to learn about our new guest." He said. I smiled shyly at everyone and made my way to sit between Jon and Robb. Robb stood up and bowed slightly,

"Lady Kiera, pleasure meeting you officially." His eyes were kind.

"Thank you, I had the chance to bathe and get settled in. I just hope there are no twigs in my hair." I replied jokingly. Robb grinned and kissed my hand. A slight flutter soared through my stomach; I felt Jon's eyes on our exchange.

I took my seat after I was introduced to the entire family. Catelyn wasn't harsh, but there was no kindness in her eyes like there was in Robb's. _Can't please everyone_. I thought.

"So you just woke up in the middle of the woods? How drunk were you?" Arya asked eagerly, Sansa shot her an annoyed look. I laughed nervously and glanced at Ned for help.

"Kiera had gotten lost, her horse abandoned her. She hadn't eaten anything in days so she fell unconscious, and hurt her ankle in the process." Ned explained. Arya looked disappointed.

"Not amused, sister? Did you expect dragons and giants?" Jon asked teasingly. Arya stuck her tongue out at him.

"Act like a man Jon. Do not say such foolish things." Catelyn spat harshly.

"He was only teasing." I stammered. Jon looked at me as if to say, _Don't make it worse_. Catelyn narrowed her eyes at me.

"Who are you to defend him?" she asked. I opened and closed my mouth, unsure of what to say.

"I apologize, my Lady." I said.

"Why is she even here, Ned?" Catelyn asked. I stiffened. Ned looked at her with cold eyes, "Because I am allowing it. Do not question my reasons." He said darkly. The discussion ended there.

I felt myself getting angrier by the minute. I set down my fork and clasped my hands under the table, digging my nails into my skin- anything to distract me from reaching across the table and slamming Catelyn's head into her soup.

I felt Jon watching me, and suddenly his hand clasped mine. My heart skipped a beat momentarily, and I slowly calmed down. As soon as he clasped it, he let go to resume eating. I didn't spare a glance his way, fearing that Catelyn would open her mouth again.

Winterfell was busy with the arrival of the Lannisters, and I tried my best to stay out of the way. I hadn't seen Jon all day, but I did get a glimpse at the royal family. They were all blonde, complete opposite from the Starks. Cersei looked pretty, but menacing. Robert differed from them, he was fat and ugly. I briefly wondered why his children didn't resemble him.

Evening was approaching, and a feast was being held in honor of the Lannisters arriving. Music and food made the atmosphere feel warm and inviting, but I didn't feel invited at all. Not after Catelyn's display this morning.

I wondered outside into the courtyard when I heard a few voices, I turned and saw Jon talking with a dwarf. The dwarf turned and looked startled when he saw me.

"My, what a beauty. You don't look like you are from here. Winterfell is too dreary for you." He said, his eyes observed me. I felt awkward, but I was polite nonetheless,

"My name is Kiera Black, and you are?"

"Tyrion Lannister." He bowed. Jon cleared his throat behind Tyrion, "As you were leaving, my Lord." He said.

Tyrion took one look at Jon, and then at me. He tipped his bottle all the way back into his mouth and walked away.

"Need more wine." He muttered.

I turned to Jon once Tyrion stumbled out of the courtyard, "Hello." I said. Jon smiled, "Hello."

"What are you doing out here?" I asked. Jon shrugged, "Bastards aren't allowed at feasts. Catelyn believes that it will scare off the guests." He said bitterly. I felt myself getting angry, "You are a greater man then half of those assholes who are stuffing their sweaty faces."

Jon looked shocked by my language, but I did not care. I decided I hated Catelyn. She treats Jon horribly, and he deserves none of it.

"I cannot help who I am." He said quietly, "This is my place."

I shook my head, "Your place is with your family. It is incredibly stupid that your world has these pointless customs. You are Ned's son, a Stark."

Jon studied me for a long moment. His eyes were dark, and full of emotion.

"You are strange." He said.

"I will perceive that as a compliment."

He laughed, it was a deep and throaty sound. I wanted to hear it again.

"That's the first time I have heard you laugh." I said. He shrugged,

"You haven't been here long enough." He replied.

"Well that is true, but I am observant."

He raised his eyebrows, "Tell me, what have you observed so far."

I walked around him and picked up his sword, examining it. He watched me carefully,

"I noticed that you tend to isolate yourself from everyone, not just your family- but everyone. You are hesitant, and reserved. And you want more out of life. Also you tend to frown, a lot." I said. His face was expressionless, _maybe I said too much_. I wondered. Then to my surprise, he laughed again.

"You have everything figured out then." He said.

I looked down at the ground and kicked a rock with my foot, "Not in the least. I do not understand why I was placed in this world, or what will become of me."

"I'm afraid I do not have an answer, but I do hope that you will stay. I enjoy your company." He admitted, his cheeks turning the slightest shade of pink.

I looked around Jon and saw Ned walking out of the hall. When he caught sight of us, he began to make his way over,

"Father." Jon said, bowing. Ned patted his shoulder,

"If you wouldn't mind, I would like to have a word with our guest. Your Uncle Benjen has just arrived, I suggest you go to him. He wishes to see you." Ned said to Jon.

Jon bowed before he walked away. Ned turned to me,

"I have not seen you at the feast." He said.

"I needed some air, so I came outside. Jon was out here so I decided to keep him company." I explained.

He nodded in understanding, "I am sure you have questions."

"Yes, an overwhelming amount in fact." I said. He chuckled.

"I do not know exactly why you were sent here. But I do know the man of who you spoke of, Eddith Targaryen. He lived on this earth long ago. He was killed, or so we thought." Ned began.

"How could he die here, but live in my world?" I asked.

"I do not know. Eddith was powerful, he could do many things. He was thought of as an abomination to nature of House Targaryen." Ned said, "Before he died, he was locked away for most of his life."

I felt a pang of sympathy for Eddith, I knew what it felt like to be an outcast.

"I still do not understand where I stand within all of this." I said.

Ned nodded, "Eddith was the last of your kind before he died. If you were sent here by the gods, it must be for a reason. Winter is coming."

"What do you mean by that?"

"In Westeros, the winters can be long. They can last for years, this approaching winter has many afraid- for reasons I do not know. It will be harsh, and deadly. I sense that your timing is no mistake, Kiera." Ned looked back at the hall, "I must get back, we will speak of this more tomorrow. Until then."

He bowed and walked away to rejoin the feast. I felt a bit of frustration at his ambiguous words, _winter is coming_. I sat on the ground, processing his words. It was no mistake that brought me to Westeros, there was a purpose for me here. I am no use if I cannot use my own powers properly. I thought.

I wondered around for what seemed like ages throughout the halls of Winterfell. I could not find Jon, nor my room. The feast was dragging on through the late hours of the night, and I wanted some rest.

I turned corner after corner, no room in sight. It was dim and cold, drunken men spilled about the hallways, and the music was too far away to hear. Suddenly, a foul voice sent chills down my spine,

"I hear this is the new guest of Winterfell."

I turned to see a middle aged man, with wretched facial features grinning at me. I glared at him,

"Yes, and I was just leaving." I replied and swiftly turned around. The man grabbed my arm and pulled me flush against his body, his hand creeping between the folds of my dress. I screamed and shoved him against the wall. He hit his head with a groan,

"You bitch." He snarled. He came at me and I ducked his swing. I spun and kneed him with all my strength in his groin, and he fell to the ground screaming. For good measure, I kicked him in his abdomen before running down the halls. My hands were furiously shaking.

I quickly made my way through the castle the way I came, pushing past the strangers who crowded them. I soon found the main hall, where the party festivities were still taking place. Not a single person had noticed my arrival, so I weaved my way into the crowd in search of a familiar face.

"She finally makes an entrance." Called a voice, I turned to see Robb Stark- ale in hand- approaching me. I smiled politely and bowed,

"Hello Lord Stark." I said. Robb laughed, "Please, call me Robb. No need for formalities tonight."

I smiled, "Alright…Robb."

"Are you well tonight? You look frightened." Robb asked, he stepped closer and looked me over. I dug my nails into my skin anxiously.

"I am fine, just tired. I am going to go to my room now. Goodnight."

Robb looked disappointed, "Wait! You've only just arrived. Enjoy the party, have some wine." He pleaded. I stared at the cup in his hands and smelled the alluring sweet scent of wine. I contemplated on refusing again, but I did not want to discourage him.

"I will stay for a little bit." I said, giving in. He grinned and handed me a cup, I drank it quickly. It tasted wonderful.

"You are accustomed to wine." Robb laughed. I smiled, "Favorite choice of drink."

I chatted with Robb for a while as he handed me cup after cup. Soon, my fingers were tingling and my body felt like it was buzzing all over. I am drunk. I thought, then giggled out loud- because it was such an absurd thing.

"I have gotten drunk in Westeros." I muttered, giggling again. Robb gave me a curious look, "Surly you have had this wine before." He said. I shook my head and giggled again.

"Want to hear a s-secret?" I asked, hiccuping. He leaned in, and I smelled the woods on his clothes, and saw the blue pools of his eyes.

"Tell me." He whispered. He was only inches from my face, this time, I did not giggle. I felt my body grow warm and alive. _I am way too intoxicated_.

"I am a Child of the Moon. Not even from Westeros." I replied, laughing again. Robb's eyes widened.

"What did you just say?" he asked. I laughed even harder, he clearly did not see the humor in my secret.

"I have powers, and I can do strange things. Isn't it strange?" I said. He grabbed my arm and lead me through the crowd. I continued to drink out of my cup as he steered me into the courtyard. When we got outside, he grabbed my shoulders and stared into my eyes.

"Kiera, tell the truth." He said sternly. I felt my knees shake, and the world spun. Suddenly, Robb had two heads. I hiccuped and laughed again.

"Robb?" called a voice. I turned and saw Jon approaching us wearily.

 **JON'S POV**

I stared at Robb holding a drunken Kiera by the shoulders. He glanced at me, worry in his eyes.

"She is speaking nonsense about Children of the Moon, and how she is not from here." Robb explained. I grew anxious, _if word gets out Father will surly kill us_.

"She is heavily intoxicated then, probably just something she heard in a story. I will take her back to her room." I said. Robb narrowed his eyes, and Keira hiccuped again.

"Fine, I will leave her with you."

I nodded and he placed Kiera in my arms. She swayed and began to fall sideways, but I caught her and hoisted her into my arms.

"Jon?" she asked. I looked down, her cheeks were rosy and her eyes were wide.

"You are very drunk, my Lady." I said. She laughed, "Only a little."

I carried her through Winterfell, receiving curious glances as I passed by. If he doesn't kill me for her secret, he surely will for my manners. I thought, it must have looked as if I was taking her back to my room for the night. I felt redness creep into my cheeks at the thought, this woman was a stranger.

I reached her room and set her on her feet, "We have arrived my Lady, you can rest now." I told her. She rubbed her eyes, and only then did I notice there were tears in them.

"My Lady?" I asked, uncertain of what to say. I have never seen a woman weep before.

She hiccuped, "I want to go home."

I felt sympathy for her; she was placed in a world she did not know,

"We will find a way to take you home, but for now rest." I said, in attempt to console her. She shook her head, "I can't walk."

I sighed and picked her up once more, I led her to her bed and took off her furs, along with her boots. She fell asleep as soon as her cheek hit the cushions. I covered her in blankets and left her to dream. I wondered how I could leave Winterfell with Benjen to go to the Wall, after her arrival. I will tell her tomorrow.

* * *

PS: Every chapter will be changed. I am starting from the beginning. Those who have read this already before might want to read it again because some things will be different. I forgot to address this in my author's note I posted recently, but that is how I am revising.

Thank you for reading!

Please R&R, it helps :)


	4. Chapter Three

Revised as of 04/29/17

Chapter 3: Of Walks & Parties

* * *

 _"Concentrate, you need to calm yourself down or it won't work." Kyle said. I nodded and breathed slowly, trying to manage my heart rate. My hands were shaking, and I felt like a bomb about to explode._

 _The lights flickered around us, and the candle in front of me burst into flames. I looked at Kyle,_

 _"It isn't working." I whispered in defeat._

 _"It will, you have to believe in yourself Kiera. I know it is hard. I understand you think you are lost, but you aren't. I believe in you." Kyle urged, he took my hands. I noticed the candle stopped burning, and the lights stopped flickering. I took a deep breath._

 _"I feel better." I said smiling._

 _"Good, now relight the candle. Focus your energy into one spot."_

 _I closed my eyes and felt the power within me. My eyes were shut, but everything around me was bright and alive. I opened them and turned toward the candle, directing the energy into one thing. The candle burned again._

 _Kyle smiled at me, "You're improving."_

Kiera's POV

I awoke with a splitting headache, a clean indication that I had gotten too drunk the night before. I scarcely wondered how I ended up in my room, because I remembered nothing of yesterday's events.

"Lady Kiera, Lord Stark is requesting if you are awake." A maid said, I rubbed my eyes and nodded. Sliding carefully out of bed, I noticed my ankle had improved. The maids helped me into clothing, and Lana braided my hair.

Ned entered, and I thought of his words from last night. Winter is coming.

"Good morning." I said. He smiled, but it did not reach his eyes.

"I have ill news" Ned began, "Bran had a bad fall climbing, he is unconscious right now."

My eyes widened, "Ned, I am so sorry. Will he be okay?" I asked. Ned nodded, "He will, but he will never walk again." He said solemnly. I saw the sadness in his eyes, I knew he loved his children dearly.

"What will you do now?"

Ned ran a hand through his hair," I have to depart tomorrow. I will go South with King Robert, along with my children. Catelyn is staying to look after Bran, she has not left his side. Robb will remain here as well."

"What about Ion?" I asked curiously.

"He wishes to go to the Wall with my brother, Benjen. He also will depart tomorrow." Ned said. Jon never told me. I thought. A slight pang of sadness filled my heart, Jon was the only person I knew here. Now, he is leaving.

Ned put a hand on my shoulder, "You are welcome to accompany Jon to Castle Black. It is a long and hard ride, but a maester named Aemon Targaryen is there. He knew Eddith, he can help you."

"Jon told me about the Wall, no woman has never been there." I said uncertainly.

"Just because no woman has been there before, does not mean it cannot happen. He will have the answers you seek. If you choose not to go, you are welcome to accompany me to Kings Landing."

Of course, I knew what my answer would be. I would go with Jon to the Wall. I had to understand why I was placed here, if I do not go, I will never know.

"I will go with Jon." I replied. Ned nodded, "I will have clothing sent for you along with other provisions. It will be cold, you must be prepared."

"Thank you, for everything." I said gratefully.

Ned smiled at me, "Watch over Jon. He seems to be a different man when he is with you."

"Of course."

After a while, I found myself at Jon's room knocking on his door. Lana had shown me the way, and left me when we arrived. I heard the shuffling of boots, and a lock clicked open. I was met with Jon's surprised face,

"Lady Kiera, I was not expecting you." He said.

"Were you expecting Benjen then?" I asked, he grimaced.

"You were with my brother, I did not get the chance to tell you." He replied. I could tell he was being honest.

"It's fine. I came here to tell you that I am coming with you." I said. Jon raised his eyebrows,

"My Lady, I think you are mistaken. I-"

"Ned said I could, and so I am. He told me a man lives at Castle Black that has answers pertaining to my arrival. I want to go, Jon." I interjected.

"I understand. My apologies then." He replied.

I smiled and touched his arm, "I know you think it's strange, but I need to know."

He sighed, "It is not that, I am just worried for Bran's health."

"He will get better." I promised. Jon nodded slowly, worry was edged all over his features. I saw the same sadness in his eyes that were in Ned's. Without thinking, I wrapped my arms around his torso. I felt him stiffen, and he awkwardly placed his arms around me. I withdrew and looked at him, his expression was unreadable. I fidgeted under his gaze, _maybe that was too much._

"I must finish packing." He said. His voice was slightly deeper than before, and his ears were tinted pink.

"Um, okay. I will see you later then?" I asked. It was clear he wanted me to leave. He gave a curt nod, and I quickly exited the hall. I felt embarrassed, I had only just met him after all. _I will speak to him later._

I took this time to see more of Winterfell, the castle itself was overwhelmingly large. Many passed through the halls, and mypresence remained unnoticed. It was freezing outside, but the castle itself was comfortably warm. I reached the stables, where I noticed Arya Stark playing with a wolf. The wolf turned to me immediately and emitted a deadly growl. Arya looked between me and the wolf and pointed her finger,

"Down Nymeria, she is not food." She said sternly. The wolf did not listen, instead it barreled towards me. I put my hands up tentatively as it sniffed me. The wolf sat on it's hind legs and stuck it's tongue out. Slowly, I reached my hand out and pat its head.

"Why does she sit for you and not for me." Arya whined. I shrugged, my experience with animals was next to nothing, we had no pets growing up. Money was already tight, Kyle and I found no need to add a pet to the burden of things we had to take care of.

"Maybe she just knows I am not the enemy." I replied. Arya huffed, "Direwolves." She muttered.

"What is a direwolf exactly?" I asked curiously. Arya looked at me strangely, "You've never heard of them? They are the sigil of House Stark. They grow much larger then regular wolves. Father tells us men have hunted them out, but Jon and Robb found a dying mother and her puppies. We each got one." She explained.

"Jon has one?"

Arya nodded, "The runt of the litter, he named him Ghost. It is pretty self explanatory, since his is all white. Nymeria is better." She said grinning.

"I've never seen it."

"Well you haven't been here long, he stays in Jon's room. He'll show you him if you would ask."

"I will take that into account." I replied smiling. I turned to walk away, but Arya grabbed my arm.

"Don't leave yet, I am bored. Nobody has done anything with me all day. Want to go for a walk?" she asked.

"Sure, I am bored too, if that's any consolation."

Arya grinned and turned to the direwolf, "Nymeria, come. We can go into the woods. Father won't get angry because I will be with you." She said. She took my arm and together we exited the castle gates.

She led me into the dense woods that bordered Winterfell. Nymeria ran ahead of us, bounding through the greenery. I noticed how the air felt cleaner, less polluted. I took a deep breath in and smiled to myself.

"So tell me about yourself." Arya said after a moment of silence. I could tell she was not one for quiet contemplation. I thought for a moment of what I would say, because I needed to be careful to not give too much information.

"Well for starters, I am twenty one years old. I have a brother named Kyle." I said. Arya furrowed her brows, "Kyle? What a strange name."

"It is a nickname." I explained. I winced at my poor lying skills. It seemed to work for Arya however, she continued on, "What about your parents?"

I bit my lip, my parents have always been a sore subject to talk about.

"They died when I was young. It is just me and my brother." I explained. Her mouth formed a tiny "o" in understanding.

"Im sorry." She said. I shrugged, "Don't apologize, it is fine."

Arya shifted her feet awkwardly and changed the subject, "I hear you are leaving tomorrow for the Wall. Father told me."

I nodded, "I plan on it, yes."

"So, are you and Jon friends then?" she asked. Her tone seemed innocent, but I could tell that there was an underlying meaning behind her words.

"I would hope we are." I replied. She laughed, "Has he already scared you off? Forgive him, he is new to women. Especially those who are older than him. Makes him nervous and whatnot."

I was surprised, "I'm older than him? I thought I was younger." I said. Arya smirked, "He looks older for his age.

"Well, you learn something new every day."

Arya laughed, "Don't worry, I won't tell."

I grinned back at her, "Good."

We continued strolling through the woods, Nymeria was nowhere in sight- but Arya assured me she does not stray far. We reached the edge of the stream, and sat on the rocks watching the water.

"I always come here when I want to get away from Winterfell." She explained. I understood why, it was peaceful- and secluded, "Don't tell anyone this, but most of the time I come down here to practice swordsmanship with my friend."

I nodded, "You told me nothing." I said.

"Mother doesn't think it is ladylike, nor does Sansa. But I despise knitting and everything else they shove down my throat. I want to learn how to fight." She told me. I decided that I liked Arya Stark very much, she has a good spirit.

"I was never into those things growing up. I loved to climb trees and play in the mud."

Arya grimaced, "Bran loved climbing too. Now he has fallen unconscious and has lost the use of his legs." She said bitterly.

I touched her arm, "I know about Bran, I am so sorry. He will get better."

"I don't think it was an accident." She said quietly. I turned to her in surprise, "How so?"

She hesitated, "Can I ask you to keep a secret?" she asked.

"Of course."

"I believe the Lannisters have something to do with this. Bran never falls."

I paused, unsure of what to say. I only got a glimpse at the Lannisters, but I could understand why Arya did not like them, because I had gotten the same feeling.

"Maybe it is just your subconscious worrying." I said. Arya glared at the ground, "I don't like Joffrey. Or Cersei. Or any of her children. She doesn't like Father or Mother. I saw the way she looked at my Mother. She hates her and Winterfell."

"We don't know anything for certain." I said.

"Not yet. When Bran awakes, we will know the truth." Arya said determinedly.

"It will take a while."

"I know, I will be gone before he does. But my Mother will tell us. I know she will." Arya replied.

"Are you going to miss Winterfell?" I asked her. She shrugged, "Yes, and no. I want to explore. But at the same time I want to stay here, with Bran and my family. I've never been South however. It will be nice to see the sun, feel heat on my cheeks."

I knew how she felt. Coming from Miami, Winterfell was a sharp change of climate. I was never accustomed to the cold.

"I am sure you will love it." I said.

Arya's eyes danced with excitement, "I hope you enjoy your trip too. Maybe we can write to each other."

I smiled, "Definitely, you can tell me all about Kings Landing."

Arya sighed, "We should get back. My Mother will want to know where I am."

We stood and I stretched my limbs, Nymeria jumped out of the bushes with a rabbit hanging from her mouth. Arya screamed,

"Put that down!" she screeched. Nymeria dropped the rabbit and trotted towards the stream, drinking the water as the blood washed off of her snout. I laughed,

"She is a direwolf. I don't think you can change her nature, Arya." I told her..

Arya shook her head, "She listens to me, I swear. It is when other people are around that she likes to show off."

I grinned, "I will take your word for it."

I parted ways with Arya once we returned to Winterfell. I felt refreshed from being in her company. Her presence reminded me of Kyle, and our time together. We always talked, and barely fought. It was easy between the two of us. I missed him dearly.

I did not know how much time had passed, but I figured I would wash up and tame my hair before dinner. I walked back to the healer's wing and looked for Lana, I found her making my bed; when she saw me she gave a small bow and smiled.

"Good day, Lady Kiera." She greeted. I smiled, "Hello, I would like to bathe, if that is all right."

"Of course my Lady, I will heat the water."

"Thank you." I said gratefully.

I waited on my bed until the bath was ready. Lana helped me wash my hair, and braided it afterwards.

"I hear you are departing tomorrow." She said.

I nodded, "I am nervous about going to a new place." I admitted.

"You will do fine. I am afraid the baths at Castle Black are not exactly the same as they are here." She said, I laughed, "No probably not."

She finished getting me ready and I decided to head to the hall in search of food. My stomach growled impatiently. As I arrived, I noticed Catelyn Stark speaking to one of the cooks. When she saw me, she muttered something to the cook and headed in my direction. I bit my lip anxiously, the last time we spoke was not the most pleasant experience.

"Hello Lady Stark." I bowed awkwardly.

"I must ask for your forgiveness, I was harsh when I spoke to you. I did not mean to make such a poor impression of myself, Ned has told me many things about you. I am afraid we got off on the wrong foot." She said. I was surprised by her words, but I understood. She had a lot to handle, and the stress was beginning to get at her.

"There is nothing to apologize for my Lady." I replied, smiling slightly. She looked relieved.

"Ned told me what you are, I cannot begin to understand what it is like for you."

My mouth fell open, "He told you?"

She smiled knowingly, "I am his wife, he tells me everything. With a bit of convincing, on my part."

"Oh." I squeaked. She chuckled, "Do not worry, your secret is safe with me."

"Thank you." I said, relieved.

"Will you join me and my daughter Sansa for lunch? She is curious about you." Catelyn asked.

I smiled, "Of course, I am starving anyways."

We sat at the table, Sansa and Catelyn across from me. We were served soup, meat, and potatoes. I tried not to eat everything in one bite, but I was starved. Sansa chatted politely about her day with Catelyn, and I listened casually. My mind wondered to Jon, and what he was doing at the moment. What would I say to him when I see him again? After all, we will be traveling together for the next week or so, I did not want any tension to exist when we did.

"Do you bake, Lady Keira?" she asked me, stirring me out of my thoughts.

I nodded, "I love to bake, I can make anything." I said. She smiled at my response.

"Maybe when we return from our trips we can make something together, I love pie." She offered.

"I would love to, I have not baked in a while actually."

We continued talking about our favorite foods and dishes, until the hall began to get busy again with servants preparing tables for dinner time. I thanked Catelyn and Sansa, and left in search of Jon. From what I had remembered, I eventually located his room and knocked on the door. When no answer came, I decided to go out into the courtyard.

I found Jon practicing archery with Robb. I watched them for a moment, laughing and shooting arrows. Jon looked more relaxed, which brought a small smile to my face. Robb turned around and waved when he spotted me,

"There she is." He said, Jon turned around and glanced at me. To my surprise, he smiled. Any tension that was on his face this morning had disappeared now.

I walked over and greeted the two of them. Robb took my hand and kissed my knuckles. I smiled politely. Jon cleared his throat and Robb put my hand down, an unreadable look plastered on his face.

"I believe I have some business with Father to attend. I will see you two tonight." He said. He nodded at Jon and walked away, bow in hand.

I turned to Jon, "Listen, about this morning. I wanted to apologize-" I began, but he shook his head.

"I am not angry with you Lady Kiera, you just took me by surprise, that is all." He explained, "I should be the one to apologize for my rude behavior. You were only being kind, and I appreciate it."

I sighed in relief, he was not angry.

"Can I try?" I asked, referring to the bow and arrows. Jon raised his eyebrows.

"Have you ever shot an arrow?"

"I used to be involved with archery at home. Favorite hobby." I explained.

Jon looked at his bow and then at me, and handed it to me reluctantly. I fumbled with it in my hands, the bows here were far different from the modern day ones.

"Need any help?" he asked. I glared at him, "You think I am lying."

He put his hands up defensively, "I only asked if you needed help." He replied innocently.

"The bows in my world are very different from this one." I said.

Jon nodded seriously, but a playful speck danced around his brown eyes.

"Come, I will teach you." He beckoned me over with his hand, and I stood in front of him facing the target.

"This is a longbow, you don't want to hold it too far or too close. You want to anchor it by your face and not your chest, because your accuracy decreases. Don't overdraw either, and your finger must not be wrapped around the arrow." He explained. I nodded, and held the bow. He walked around me and titled the bow slightly to the left,

"Good, now knock your arrow, and keep the elbow high. You do not want to hold the weight of draw while shooting because it will make you tired."

I knocked the arrow, and Jon stood behind me. His hands came around my torso and moved my elbow up.

"Keep your body square." He whispered. I felt his breath on my ear, and I began to find it difficult to concentrate on the target in front of me.

I turned to him and huffed, "When can I shoot?." I said impatiently. He chuckled, "That is how you know you will miss. You cannot rush it."

"When in battle, you do." I retorted. He stared at me, "You are not in battle. You are with me. Be patient and turn around." He said. I sighed and turned back around, trying to mimic my previous position.

"Move your feet further apart and turn a bit towards the right." He muttered, I shifted and he made a sound of approval.

I knocked my arrow once again, careful not to overdraw it. I raised my elbow slightly and anchored the bow closer to my face. I stared at the target and let Jon move my body.

"Let it fly." He said. I let go of the arrow and it soared straight into the center of the target. I dropped the bow and jumped in the air in excitement. I felt my body being lifted off of the ground and spun. Jon set me back down on my feet, and grinned down at me.

"Not bad for your first time." He remarked. I laughed breathlessly, a blush creeping up my cheeks. He clearly had gotten over his issue of personal space since our encounter this morning.

"I am a natural." I said.

Jon cleared his throat, "We should return, it is getting late."

He began to walk towards the entrance and I reluctantly followed, feeling a small pang of disappointment that our time was over. I shook it off and walked with him towards the main hall for dinner. When we arrived, Jon moved towards the back tables. I saw the Stark family altogether, and felt pity for Jon. How ridiculous that he cannot even sit with them for dinner.

I decided to sit with Jon instead of joining the Starks, and watched the Lannister family make their way to where the Starks sat. Cersei looked annoyed, and Robert looked drunk. I wondered how such a pair could be married.

Dinner was served, and I listened to Jon chat with the men that sat at the table. I did not say much, I rather enjoyed hearing him talk. His accent was thick and deep.

I noticed Joffrey was staring at me from across the room. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat when he did not look away as our gazes met. He turned towards Sansa and whispered something to her, she then looked my way and responded back to him. If only I had the gift of supernatural hearing.

"The Lannister won't stop looking at you." Jon muttered in annoyance.

"No offense, but he is an ugly person." I whispered back. Jon chuckled at my comment.

"If King Robert were to die, he would be next in line." He said.

"He is so young. There is no way." I replied. Jon shrugged, "That is how it has been done for centuries."

We were quiet for a moment as we finished our meals.

"So, we leave tomorrow." I began.

"So we do." Jon said.

"What is it like, at the Wall?"

"Cold probably. The Wall has stood for thousands of years, defending Westeros from the unknown. I will be a new recruit when we arrive. We train for a few weeks, and then when we are ready, we swear our vows." He explained.

"What is the bow exactly?" I asked.

Jon thought for a moment, "Well, you pledge yourself to the Wall for life. You cannot take a wife, and deserters are killed."

"Wait, you cannot love?" I said. Jon shook his head, "No wife, no family."

"You are just going to give that up forever."

Jon shrugged, "I know what I am giving up. I want to do this, Lady Kiera."

I began to feel angry, but I let it go. I did not want to fight with Jon. He was only a friend, after all. Nothing more, I told myself.

"I respect your decision then." I replied. Jon looked relieved at my words.

Another round of festivities soon began to go underway, and wine was served to every guest. I politely refused however, and scowled at Jon for laughing at my refusal.

"You cannot hold your alcohol." He said. I narrowed my eyes, "This stuff is heavy. I'm sorry I am not a big strong man like you who can down countless pints of ale."

He shook his head at me and walked away, "I will be back." He promised. I watched him disappear through a side door. I sat down on a bench and watched the crowd. Men chugged pints of ale while the women sat on their laps. I heard King Robert's booming voice pierce through the array of voices. I stood and decided to get a glass of wine, one drink would not hurt me anyways.

I suddenly felt lightheaded, and the crowd began to disappear. I felt my body hit the ground, and faintly I heard the shocked voices of the guests.

The image before me morphed into a cave. I was running, horrid screams followed behind me. I turned my head and saw destroyed creatures crawling on every wall, coming at me. I screamed and continued running.

Claws scratched at my ankles and clothing. I pushed my body harder, but the creatures seemed to be faster. They encircled me; I was trapped.

I tried to fight them off, but there were far too many. They all grabbed me, limb by limb. Teeth sank into flesh, and I felt my body give out. Let me die, I begged whoever was listening.

Jon's POV

"She just fell."

"She's not waking up!"

"Her eyes are open, she could be dead."

I pushed through the crowd anxiously, _please let it not be her_. I reached the center of the circle, and there Kiera laid.

She was sprawled out on the ground, her body completely limp. Father was there first, he and Robb knelt beside her. Her eyes were open and unblinking.

"No." I whispered. _Please let her be alive. Please don't take her._

Father looked at me with sad eyes, "We need to get her out of here, now." He said quietly. Robb picked her up and carried her through the crowd. The music had stopped, and a heavy silence hung in the air. I followed closely behind Father and Robb, tears threatening to spill down my cheeks.

The three of us rushed to the healer's wing. Upon entering, the nurses quickly took action. Robb set her on a bed and the women encircled her.

"Her heart beats." One said. I felt relief soar through my body, she was not dead.

"Then what is wrong with her?" Robb asked impatiently. The nurse shook her head, "She is in shock."

What could have possibly happened in the minutes that I had left her company? She was perfectly fine, nothing had appeared to be wrong.

"How could this have happened." Father said.

"She was fine. Nothing was wrong." I replied.

"Was she drinking?" Robb asked.

"No."

A guard rushed in, "Lord Stark, King Robert requests you and your son immediately." He said. Father looked between Kiera and me reluctantly.

"Stay with her." He told me. I nodded, him and Robb left the room. I took my seat on the edge of the bed, while the nurses attended to her. I noticed a bruise was forming on her cheek.

I waited for what seemed like hours at her bedside. Suddenly, she sat up, gasping for air. I grabbed her before she could fall sideways.

"Lady Kiera?" I said, I felt my throat grow tight at the sight of her. She looked up at me with frightened eyes.

"What the hell just happened?" she whispered. Tears were streaming down her cheeks.

"You fell, we thought you were dead." I said quietly. She shuddered and wiped her eyes. I felt useless, I have never encountered a crying woman before.

"It was like a-a dream. These disgusting things were chasing me and then they killed me. I don't know what happened-" she hiccuped before she could finish. I moved closer to her and let her head rest against my chest. She breathed heavily, sweat forming at her forehead.

"I am so sorry." I murmured. I felt her sadness as if it were my own. I wanted to help her desperately, but this was something I had never encountered.

"I am scared Jon, I don't know what that was. What is happening to me?" She cried. I held her tighter and rested my head against hers. If someone were to come in, I would be dead. But I did not care, she needed someone.

"We will find answers. I promise I will not let you suffer." I whispered, and I meant it.

She sniffed and wiped her cheeks again, "I am such a mess."

"You should get some rest." I told her. She nodded against me, and I slowly lowered her down into the pillows. I pulled the furs over her body and blew out the candle by her bedside.

"Can you stay here? Until I fall asleep?" she asked tentatively. Her eyes pierced into mine, and I could not refuse.

"Of course." I told her. I sat in the chair next to her bed and watched as her eyes drifted shut. When I was sure she was asleep, I slowly touched her cheek.

"Goodnight Kiera." I whispered.

* * *

Feel free to drop a review! Revision is taking longer than I thought, but I am determined to get through all eight chapters. I know I have changed many things, but I just feel like the original story lacked A LOT! Please stay with me as I go chapter by chapter. :)


	5. Chapter Four

Hello everyone, I don't like putting author's notes at the beginning because it disturbs the reading flow (well at least for me), but I thought that I would quickly apologize for my absence. To summarize, life was kicking my ass for a few weeks, but here I am! I am also suffering from writer's block on this chapter and heavy procrastination. I want writing to be something enjoyable instead of a chore, so I guess that also has something to do with it. I promise though I will continue to write this damn story, I have a nasty habit of never finishing things because of my impatience, but I want to finish this! It probably sounds dramatic, since this is only the fourth chapter, but to those who are new and never read the original piece, it seems like I am going backwards instead of forwards. Never mind about that though, I am back and more inspired 😊 Thanks for the support (and shoutout to writingNOOB for those long and helpful PM's! Feedback counts ya'll)

Happy reading!

Revised as of 6/9/17

Chapter Four: Departures

"It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out of your door," he used to say. "You step into the Road, and if you don't keep your feet, there is no telling where you might be swept off to"

~Frodo Baggins

* * *

"It'll be awfully cold, and I hope you do not possess a fear of heights." Arya said as we walked through Winterfell. It was the morning of the departure for all parties, Ned and the Lannisters were to leave for King's Landing, and I to leave with Jon and others for the Wall. I only saw Jon once today. We shared quick glances in the hall, but nothing more. I felt embarrassed about the events of the previous night. Everyone in Winterfell saw me fall, and worse enough, I asked Jon to with me last night. I hoped he was not avoiding me because of that. I decided to stop worrying, _this trip will get the answers I need about what is happening to me._

"I am not afraid of heights, and I have more than enough clothing to keep me warm." I said, smiling down at her, "I would much rather go to King's Landing where it is warm."

She giggled, "Maybe you should come with us then, I am much more fun than Jon anyways."

I grinned, "Too late now."

We arrived at the stables, where horses were being prepped for travel. My stomach flipped at the thought of riding a horse, I had never ridden one before. I scarcely wondered if I would have to walk the whole trip because of it.

As if on cue, Jon appeared in the crowd of people and headed my way. His face looked worn and void of any pleasant emotion. His face softened when he saw Arya.

"Good morning my ladies." he said to us, Arya scowled at his greeting.

"You know how I hate that." she muttered bitterly.

Jon looked at her with a spark of mischief in his eyes, "And you know how I love to torture you."

Arya lunged at him, and they playfully bat at each other. I watched on, smiling. Only Arya could bring Jon to life like that, I have noticed.

A younger man approached us, and Jon immediately stopped fighting with Arya. The man bowed to us, then looked at directly at me, "Lady Kiera, Lord Stark requests your presence." he said. I followed the man into the stables. Ned stood towards the back, when he saw me he smiled a bit.

"Hello Lady Kiera." he said. I curtsied, stumbling a bit. I was fairly new to these mannerisms, and it was safe to say I was horrible at them.

Ned chuckled at my display, "There is no need for that. I have something to give to you before you depart."

I was surprised, "Really? I don't think I need anything, but-"

He cut me off, "I have a letter. I need you to give it to maester Aemon Targaryen when you arrive at Castle Black. It is important that he reads it before you say anything. I also have a gift for you, I had it made by my blacksmith."

I watched as Ned took out a long object from his belt, a sword. He unsheathed it, revealing its beauty. It was thin, not like the other swords the men wield.

"It's beautiful Ned, thank you." I said in gratitude.

"I hope it serves you well, you never know when you will need it." he replied. I gently put the sword down and wrapped my arms around his large torso.

I pulled away and looked up at him, "You have been a generous host, thank you for everything."

"It was the honorable thing to do, you are always welcome at Winterfell. Travel safely. Go to the Wall and learn about your lineage, maester Aemon will tell you everything." he said. _My lineage._ My stomach fluttered nervously at the thought of it.

"My Lord, the horses are ready." a voice called.

"I will be with you shortly." Ned replied to the man. He turned to me, "It is time for us to part ways. I wish you well, Lady Kiera."

A sadness washed over me at our departures, and in this moment, I realized that I did not want to leave. I had only been here for a short time, but this was all I have known. Outside Winterfell were things I have never seen, and those things terrified me.

"Bye Ned." I whispered, I felt the tears begin to brim in my eyes.

Ned looked sympathetic, "Do not cry child, we will see each other again soon." he told me. I wiped my eyes and nodded, _we will see each other again._ He turned and walked away, shoulders squared and head held high. A walk worthy of a king.

The men were mounting the horses, and I had yet to mount my own. I looked around to see if anyone was watching me, but everyone was concerned with the royal families. I attempted to jump on from the side, but I slid off. The horse let out a loud sigh, it's beady eye staring right into my own. I grabbed the top of the saddle and attempted to climb onto it, but the horse trotted forward and I slipped off. With a loud yelp, I fell flat on my back in the hay.

I stood quickly, muttering profanities and dusting hay from my torso. I suddenly heard a soft chuckle, and I turned to see Jon Snow, clearly amused at my dismay.

"I came to see if you needed any help." he began, with a small smile on his face.

I narrowed my eyes, "Do not laugh at me. I have never ridden a horse before."

"I was not."

"You were."

Jon bit back a laugh, "I believe you have hit your head, you imagined it."

Instead of scowling, I threw back my head and just laughed. It felt good.

I sighed and looked back at Jon, "We have to leave soon."

He nodded, "Come on, I will help you up."

Before I could protest, Jon lifted me up by my waist and put me onto the horse. It was extremely uncomfortable, I only could imagine how sore I would be after today. I inwardly groaned at the thought of riding on horseback for days.

"Thank you." I said to him.

He gave me the reigns, "Do not fall off." he said, a hint of humor laced in his voice. I turned to glare down at him, but he was already gone out of the stables.

I shut my eyes and took a deep breath, then I slowly squeezed my knees. The horse huffed and began to edge forward.

This trip was going to be long indeed.

We stood on a hill, two parties saying their final farewells before the departure. It was loud and crowded. Horses snorted, and shouts filled the air. The Lannisters sat in a golden wheelhouse, while the guards trotted ahead. _If automobiles existed, this would be a shorter trip._ I thought to myself. Westeros was truly ancient times. I watched Ned and Jon, side by side on horseback, talking to each other.

I shifted nervously on the saddle, Tyrion kept giving me odd glances, and Benjen was not one for conversation at the moment. It was clear him and the Lannisters did not get along, since his glares have been directed at Tyrion the entire morning. I only had Jon for company now.

The two finished their exchange, and Jon rode up to me and Benjen.

"It'll be weeks before we reach the Wall, so we should move quickly." Benjen said to Jon.

I decided it was best to speak up now about my lack of horse-riding experience, "Jon, I really can't move fast. I'll fall off."

Jon looked annoyed for the slightest second. I felt the blush of embarrassment creep up my cheeks for even saying anything. I felt all the eyes of the group piercing into me.

"Well if you cannot ride a horse yourself, then you must ride with someone else." Tyrion called from the front of the group. Subconsciously, I knew it would come down to this.

Jon sighed, "You can ride with me, Lady Kiera."

"What of the horse?" Benjen asked.

"We'll tie it to one of ours so it can follow." he replied.

Jon dismounted and helped me down. As I hit the ground I became level with his eyes.

"Thank you, I'm sorry about the inconvenience." I said quietly. His face gave away no emotion, but he nodded nonetheless. _All formalities today_ , I guessed.

We mounted his horse, Jon in the front and I in the back. Soon as I mounted the horse, I wished I would have stayed silent and rode on my own horse. The back was worse than the front.

We set off once again, and I struggled to find a secure spot to hold on to, so I just resorted to wrapping my arms around Jon and his gigantic cloak. The only positive thing about the endeavor was that I was well warmed by his furs in my face, and shielded away from the frigid winds. Jon spoke very little for the next few hours.

I took this time to think, and observe.

It was noisy at first, but as we headed north, it grew quiet. Snow fluttered on the ground around us. Casual conversation carried quietly through the air, and it became almost peaceful. The clipping of the hooves became a gentle rhythm. For the first time, I appreciated the outdoors. The air was not polluted, and wilderness stretched on for what seemed like an eternity.

I found myself drifting to sleep, even though it was midday. Jon didn't seem to mind me holding onto him, so I carefully put my head into the furs of his cloak and let myself fall asleep.

" _How long until we get to North Carolina?" I asked Kyle as he was driving._

" _Five more hours at the most. You could probably get another nap in." he replied laughing. I grinned._

" _I'm an expert at sleeping."_

 _He rolled his eyes, "Yeah, that's all you're pretty much good for."_

" _Ouch, are you joking or being serious?" I said, there was a bitter tone in my voice that I did not intend, but Kyle caught it._

" _You aren't useless Kiera. Stop it." he told me._

" _Sorry" I muttered. I inwardly cringed at myself for ruining the mood._

 _Kyle stared at me coldly, "Actually, you are useless." he said. I looked at him in shock. Kyle would never say that to me._

" _I-"_

 _Kyle interrupted me, "You don't go to college, you barely work. All you do is get drunk at that damn bar. What good are you? You are nothing." he sneered._

 _I felt the tears form in my eyes at his harshness, where was this coming from?_

" _Kyle, I'm sorry." I whispered._

 _He laughed darkly, "I wish you were never born. Maybe things would be different. Things would be better."_

" _Go to hell." I spat at him._

" _We're already in it." he said. He grinned, and it sent chills down my spine. Suddenly, he slammed on his breaks and I screamed. We were automatically hit from the car behind on the highway, and I felt my body get thrown at the dashboard._

" _KYLE" I screamed, but it was too late, Kyle was gone. In place of Kyle sat a man with white skin and blue eyes, with an icy crown on top of his head._

My eyes shot open when I felt something nudging my side intently.

"Lady Kiera. Your hands, they are burning me. Get them off." Jon whispered fiercely to me. I quickly let go and grabbed hold of the saddle, breathing heavily.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what happened." I whispered back, I stared down at my hands. They were red and glowing. Thankfully, we rode at the back of the company, so nobody could see my hands and their freakish coloring. I have lost control before, but my hands have never burned anyone.

"You were silent for hours, and then your hands started to get warm until they felt like fire." he replied.

"I-I had a nightmare about my brother. I don't know why I did that to you, I am so sorry." I said quietly. I felt horrible for hurting him. I could not see Jon's expression, but I could guess that it was not pleasant.

"Please do not do it again." he whispered.

Silence once again erupted between us. I kept my hands on the saddle for a while until we began to trek uphill, and then I was forced to hold on to Jon once again. I lightly grasped his clothing as best as I could, and I did not sleep.

I faintly wondered why Jon was in a mood, even before I accidentally burned him. He was silent and distant after he spoke to Ned. _He's upset._ I thought. I did not want to question him, so I occupied myself with sightseeing for a while.

Nightfall had come, and we were approaching what appeared to be an inn of sorts. Jon dismounted and helped me down. When my feet hit the ground, I felt better instantly. I walked a bit, stretching my limbs.

Jon walked over to Benjen Stark as he dismounted his horse, and the two spoke quietly. Benjen glanced over at me, then nodded to Jon.

I turned and began taking my small pack off the saddle. Arya had advised me to pack lightly, in which I found easy to do because I had nothing valuable. I only packed clothing and what hygiene products Winterfell could supply. Then there was my sword, which I questioned if it's presence was needed inside of the inn.

"Lady Kiera?" Jon said. I turned and looked at him in the darkness. The light from the inn gave a faint orange glow on the back of his head, and his eyes seemed to blend in with the sky.

"Yes?"

"We have to rest here for the night, but I want you to stay close and watch your surroundings." he said. I felt my stomach twist in anxiety, I was not found of shady places, but I must learn to deal with it. This is Westeros, _this is your life now._

I nodded, "Won't leave your side." I replied, smiling a bit. This seemed to lighten his mood. We then walked together with the company into the inn.

Inside, it was loud. The smell hit me first, sweat and grime. I tried my best not to cringe outwardly, but this was far from what I was used to. Men were everywhere, drinking and laughing with women on their laps. No children. Eyes followed us upon our entrance. Some grew quiet and openly stared. Tyrion Lannister and his two guards led the way.

"Not what you were expecting?" Jon whispered to me as we waited for Tyrion to get a room.

I scrunched my nose, "Not in the slightest. I just want to rest though, so I guess it will be all right."

"We will keep stopping at these as we travel, it is better than sleeping outdoors." he said. I couldn't agree more, it was beginning to get colder outside. I could only image what the ground must feel like at this point.

Tyrion strolled over to us, holding sets of keys.

"Lord Snow, Lady Kiera. I acquired two rooms. One for you and your uncle, and one for you my Lady." he said. I smiled politely in thanks as he handed me a key with a slip of parchment on it that read a number.

I walked in front of Jon as we were lead down a narrow corridor, passing doors as we went. I faintly heard creaking of beds and frowned in disgust. Tyrion laughed up ahead.

The company had gone to eat, but I had no desire for food. Instead, I bid goodnight to everyone and went into my room. Inside, it was incredibly small and dark. A small candle lit up the back wall, where a tiny window let the moonlight in. I took off m layers of clothing until I was down to the lining of my dress. I silently wished for pants, because dresses were completely dysfunctional for travel.

I laid in the cot, and used my cloak as an extra blanket. I decided to let the candle burn as a nightlight, and fell into a restless sleep.

* * *

Backstory to the quote, I had Fellowship of the Ring playing in the background, and I know it is totally crossing over worlds, but I wanted to include it because it fits! Or maybe I am just kidding myself. I cannot help it, LOTR has been a favorite for YEARS. Anyways, this is the beginning of Kiera's trip to the Wall! FYI: I know how long it actually took, but I am not going to document every single day of it or it will be boring. You will see what I am talking about in the next chapter. This chapter is shorter, I am sorry about that. I am splitting the traveling into two chapters instead of one giant one, and also I really just wanted to get the chapter out. I understand in the original it was not this long, but that was completely different in its entirety! I have plans and I really am just changing 97% of the story, bear with me please.

Please review! I appreciate the feedback, I am so nervous about this story :/

See ya'll soon 😊

Another FYI: Author's notes will not be as long and annoying from now on, I am sorry.


	6. Chapter Five

6/16/17  
Chapter 5: Into the Woods

* * *

 _I despised parties, but somehowI stood in the middle of one. Rap music blared through the speakers, and bodies danced together everywhere I looked. I made my way over to the bar and sat on one of the stools. At least over here, it was calmer._

" _Having fun?" someone asked behind me. I turned around to a blonde man with bright blue eyes._

 _I shrugged, "Not a fan of crowds."_

 _He tilted his head to the side and examined me, and I shifted in my seat from his piercing gaze,_

" _No you aren't, makes you anxious. You don't have control." he said. A strange chill fluttered down my spine at the accuracy of his words._

" _Um, yeah. I should go." I muttered._

 _He grabbed my wrist, "No, forgive my manners. I am afraid I do not filter my words. Psychology major, I am good at reading people." he explained. I bit my lip and looked for the nearest exit. I already felt uncomfortable enough, and he wasn't making it any better._

" _I don't even know your name." I said to him._

 _"Nor do I know yours. So how about I buy you a drink? We can get to know each other more" he said._

 _I sighed, "One drink. And don't even think about slipping in a roofie because I will kick your ass."_

 _He laughed like it was a silly joke, "No roofies. Just a drink." he replied._

" _Good, so how about that name?" I asked._

 _He raised his eyebrows, "How about that drink?"_

 _Irritation shot through me instantly, and I tried my best to bite my tongue, "Sangria." I told him. He grinned and placed my order to the bartender. I had already flashed my ID at the door, so there was no need to show it now._

" _My name is Kiera. Your turn." I said. He leaned back on the stool and crossed his arms over his chest, I noticed that he said some defined muscle, and that his skin was extremely pale._

" _Hate my name, kind of archaic actually." he replied nonchalantly. I rolled my eyes, this caused him to chuckle under his breath._

 _I shot him a look, "The whole part of getting to know someone is getting their name." I said matter-of-factly._

 _He shrugged, "I'm more interested in you. What do you do for fun?" he asked. The bartender handed me my drink, and I sipped it lightly._

" _I really don't go out that much, this is a rare occasion."_

" _Oh, so you're like one of those sexy shut-ins with a secret past." he said teasingly._

 _Against my better judgement, I laughed, "Sure, call it that."_

 _He was quiet for a moment before he said anything, "Boyfriend?" he asked._

 _I shook my head._

 _Suddenly, his head shot to the right. He narrowed his eyes for a split second, but stopped when he noticed me looking at him.  
_

 _He stood up, "Well, I am going to have to cut this conversation short. Pleasure meeting you, Black. I'm sure we will see each other again." he said. I was taken by surprise, I had never told him my last name. Before I could confront him about it, he disappeared in the crowd._

 **Present Day**

"You haven't spoken much today." Jon said quietly from the front of the horse. I rubbed my eyes groggily and yawned.

"Just tired." I replied.

"Did you not sleep?" he asked, tilting his head in my direction.

I shrugged, "Strange dreams, I kept waking up."

"I apologize then, hopefully tonight you will rest." he said. I smiled at his impeccable politeness,

"Thank you. I do too."

The truth was that I was having a rough time adjusting to everything. I did not want to burden Jon with my problems, so I kept it to myself. Every night the dreams would come. I dreamt of my old life, of Kyle. These dreams made me miss home, and I would lie awake wondering if I would ever see it again. I wondered if Kyle was searching the earth for me, and every time it hit my heart harder that I might never see him again. Then, the nightmares would follow. I never remember what my dreams were about, but I knew that they were terrifying. I would wake up in a cold sweat, unable to fall back to sleep. I felt off about everything.

Five days had passed, the road had grown quiet and the woods became denser. Hills disappeared and became mountains, and the air became colder. I knew that as we traveled closer to the Wall, the temperatures would continue to drop. I only hoped that I packed enough clothing for it.

Jon never let me out of his sight, nor did his wolf- Ghost. Over the days, I have become more acquainted with the animal, and I was beginning to enjoy his company. Ghost traveled along beside our horse, and he was always watching.

"He knows you are no threat, he likes you." Jon had said to me a few days ago. We sat on the ground as the others did their business in the woods. I reached my hand out and scratched Ghost's fluffy white ear. He shifted his head and laid it in my lap, staring up at me with blood red eyes.

I laughed as he snorted into my cloak, "I think he does."

In these days, I began to also make acquaintances with Benjen Stark. The more I talked to him, the less intimidating he seemed.

"Has Jon always been good with a sword?" I had asked him. He chuckled and shook his head.

"When he was a young boy, he almost cut off his own feet. Picked up his father's sword, only to get caught in the act. He dropped the sword and ran, wasn't hard to find him though. He left a trail of blood." Benjen said laughing. I looked to Jon, who had a faint pink to his cheeks.

Benjen seemed to enjoy Jon's embarrassment, so he launched into many stories of Jon's childhood, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

It was getting colder by the hour, and it was painfully evident that Tyrion had not prepared for such weather conditions.

Upon asking him if he wanted an extra cloak, he politely declined. I know Benjen wanted him to admit that he was underdressed so he could be proven right, but Tyrion was not giving him that satisfaction.

The guards barely spoke, when they did, it was to Tyrion when we were out of earshot. This only aggravated the Starks more.

A few more days dragged by as we traveled further North. Wolves howled in the night, but Ghost never responded. He was always quiet and obedient to Jon. The inns began to diminish, and so did my patience. Along the way, a brother of the Night's Watch joined us, Yoren, and two boys. Yoren's appearance was ragged and dirty, but the two boys were worse. Their grimy appearance made me wonder if all men at the Wall were ignorant of hygiene.

Yoren referred to the boys as "rapers", they were destined to join the Night's Watch. Benjen had explained that it was the preferred sentence over castration. Being around them made my blood boil, because of what they did to earn their name.

Jon was unhappy with their arrival also, whenever he looked at them he scowled. The new company did not appreciate my presence, which only made me despise them more.

"Why is a woman traveling among your company?" Yoren had asked, he glanced at me with annoyance. Benjen was about to speak, but I beat him to it.

"My business is none of your concern." I replied. Yoren looked taken aback, but regained his composure.

"What business could a woman have at the Wall?" he said, challenging my words. His composure was cold, it was evident that he wanted me gone.

"Business that does not involve you." I replied. Yoren narrowed his eyes.

Benjen shot me a warning glance, he was clearly unhappy with my response, "Forgive her, she hasn't gotten much rest. She is traveling with us to speak with someone who resides at Castle Black on Eddard Stark's orders, she means no harm." he explained. I rolled my eyes, _men._ I thought bitterly, women were given no respect in this world. Yoren huffed and returned to tending to his horse.

The peasant boys merely stared, but said nothing. I could only imagine their thoughts. Jon seemed as if he was enjoying the whole exchange, and gave me a small smile when I stomped back to where he sat.

"Your world sucks." I muttered as I sat down.

He looked puzzled, "Sucks?" he asked uncertainly.

"Bad, low quality." I clarified, he nodded in understanding.

"The slander you use in your world…sucks" he replied, the word sounded awkward coming from his mouth. Despite my sour mood, I laughed at his attempt to incorporate my vocabulary into his sentence.

Days turned into weeks. My legs were raw and swollen from constant horseback riding. I desperately wished that I could wash my hair, since it was knotted and dirty. I decided that when we stopped for rest, I would try to comb it out and braid it. Jon was exhausted also, he had never traveled for such a long distance, and the trip was wearing on him. The only two who seemed to be content were Benjen and Yoren. Yoren and I had barely spoken since our first meeting. I had apologized for my rudeness, which earned a me a gruff nod. _It was better than nothing_ , I had thought, I did not want to make enemies before I reached the Wall.

The woods were dark, and the road was nearly gone. It seemed as if a pack of wolves were following us as we traveled, but Jon assured me nothing would happen. As we ventured deeper into the wilderness, I began to get an eerie feeling. I felt on edge, like something bad was going to happen. Once again, I kept this information to myself.

"We will stop here for camp." Benjen announced as we reached a snowy clearing beneath the trees.

Relief flooded into me at the thought of getting off the horse, and I happily jumped off without Jon's assistance.

The men made small shelters out of branches, I had never slept on the ground before, and I imagined that I would not get much rest. I offered to help, but Jon insisted that I rested. I sat on a log and watched as he made a shelter. His black curls were covered in snowflakes, I suddenly felt the urge to run my hand through them, but I brushed it off.

I used my boot to draw lines and circles into the snow, it was just beginning to stick to the ground. It would get heavier as we got closer to the Wall. The snowflakes began to fall harder, I lifted my head up and stuck my tongue out, catching a snowflake. Snow always fascinated me, since I grew up in a constantly warm place that rarely saw winter.

I noticed Jon watching me, when I met his gaze he looked away quickly.

"Never seen someone eat a snowflake before?" I asked teasingly. Jon looked back at me, with faint red coloring in his cheeks.

"I am afraid I have not, my Lady." he replied. I noticed how worn he looked from travel, and decided to try and cheer him up a bit.

I grinned and gestured him over, "Come here."

He reluctantly walked over to where I sat and lowered himself down on the log.

"See look, you just tilt your head up and open your mouth. When my brother and I were younger, our foster parents would take us skiing. We used to have snowflake eating competitions. I always won." I explained, "You probably don't understand what I just said." I added after seeing his confused face.

He shook his head and smiled a bit, "I do not think I ever will."

"Well, it is quite simple. Tilt your head back." I began.

He looked at me doubtfully, but tilted his head back nonetheless.

"Good, now just open your mouth and catch one." I said. He caught one on his tongue and made a face.

"I do not see the enjoyment of the game." he said.

I looked at him and laughed as I realized the ridiculousness of it all, Jon Snow catching snowflakes in the snow. _How ironic,_ I thought. Jon stared down at me curiously as my giggle fit continued.

"My Lady..?" he asked uncertainly.

"You just make me laugh. That is all." I said.

He shook his head at me, suddenly he reached out and brushed something out of my hair. He retracted his hand instantly and blushed,

"Forgive me, you had a leaf in your hair." he muttered. He stood up and walked away quickly. _What was that?_ I wondered. I slowly reached up and brushed the place where his hand was moments ago.

It was nightfall, and freezing. After hours of combing through my hair with my hand and a stick, I finally braided into something decent. Jon left with the men to hunt, so I decided to take a walk around.

As I walked through the trees, the faint glow of the fire from the camp began to disappear. I knew I had gone too far, but I walked on anyways. It felt peaceful to be alone.

The eerie feeling returned. I felt as if someone was watching me. I turned around, but nothing was there. There was a rustling in the bushes, then everything became quiet.

Suddenly, I felt my arm being grabbed by something hard. I turned and saw a ragged face with cold eyes staring back at me. I screamed and pulled away. The pressure on my arm released, and I bolted in the direction I came from as fast as my feet could carry me.

I reached the camp panting, just as Jon and the others reached the clearing. When his eyes met mine, the worry on his face disappeared. He rushed over to me,

"Lady Kiera, are you all right? We heard a scream." he asked.

I took a deep breath to try and calm myself down, "I just took a walk, and something grabbed my arm. It was big." I said.

This caught Benjen's attention, "What did it look like?" he asked quickly.

I shook my head, "I didn't see much because of how dark it was, but it's face was all distorted."

Benjen turned to me, "Where were you when this happened?"

I pointed to where I came out from, "Over there, I guess I was out pretty far because I could not see the fire anymore."

Benjen nodded and turned to Yoren, "Come brother, let us go check the perimeter."

The two men picked up their swords and headed into the trees, I hoped whatever was there was gone.

I sat down on the log again and put my head in my hands, the adrenaline has left my body and the exhaustion began to set in.

I looked up at Jon as he sat down next to me on the log.

"You're hurt." he said quietly, looking at my cheek. I touched my cheek and felt the sting of a fresh cut.

"I didn't even know it was there." I muttered.

He dug around in his pack until he produced a cloth and a vile of liquid. He dampened the cloth and carefully pressed it against my cheek. I winced as the liquid stung the wound.

He pulled his hand back, "Sorry, my Lady." he said.

I shook my head, "It's fine, I can do the rest." I gently took the cloth from his fingers and wiped the blood from my face.

Jon looked at me with regret, "I should have stayed with you."

"Jon, it's fine. I was stupid for leaving the camp. It is my fault, not yours." I told him. He still looked upset, so I grabbed his hands and held them in my own, "It is not your fault. Nothing bad happened, I am fine." I repeated.

He frowned and stared down at our entwined hands, but released them as soon as Benjen and Yoren entered back into the camp.

"Whatever it was, it is long gone now." Benjen said to me. I sighed in relief, but a tiny thought nagged at my brain, _what was it?_

"We should rest now." Yoren said to Benjen.

And so we did. The men were soon snoring in their makeshift shelters within minutes. I sat in my own while Jon kept watch outside. The ground was cold and uncomfortable, but I was too exhausted to care.

 **Jon**

After a few hours of keeping watch, I decided to get up and walk. I looked over at Lady Kiera, who seemed to be in a deep sleep. I noticed that the Lannister was not present in the camp, so I went out into the woods in search of him.

I found him, sitting by a tree with a candle. He was reading. Unaware of my presence, I walked up to where he sat,

"Why do you read so much?" I asked him. Tyrion glanced up from his book and stared at me with hooded eyes.

"Because Jon Snow, I am a dwarf. I require a special saddle to ride a horse, a saddle of my own design if you must know. I cannot walk without difficulty, I will never be a swordsman. My father was the Hand of the King for two decades, and I am a Lannister. Things are expected of me. My brother has a sword, and I have my mind. That is why I read so much." he said. I sat in silence and thought about his words.

"What are you reading about then?" I asked.

"Dragons." he responded.

"Dragons do no exist." I said. Tyrion laughed.

"Is it wrong to dream? Have you ever thought of it?" he asked. I shook my head, _of course not._ Dragons are not real, so reading about them serves no logical purpose.

He raised his eyebrows and continued, "When you are me, all you can do is dream. When your family labels you as the outsider, when you will never reach the height of a man, it is only right to dream of the day when you can ride a dragon and prove them all wrong. But you would not have that problem, because the Starks treat you so well, right?"

When I did not reply, he continued on.

"Robb gets Winterfell, and you get the Wall. Ned must have good reasons for sending you off…" he said.

I felt my face getting hot at his words, "Stop it." I said darkly, "The wall is for honorable men."

Tyrion laughed, "Honorable? Is that what you think? I'm sure those boys- your brothers- who travel with Yoren hold the same honor, being rapers and all. Who do you think goes to the Wall? Not people like your father, I would presume. How naïve of you, I could only imagine the treatment that your Lady Kiera will receive when you arrive. Being that the men are honorable and such." he spat.

"I told you to stop." I said, to my own embarrassment, angry tears were forming in my eyes. Tyrion was quiet, and a flash of guilt crossed his face. He began to take a step toward me, when all of the sudden, Ghost flew out from the trees and tackled him to the ground.

I felt the satisfaction of watching Tyrion writher on the ground under Ghost's body. He backed off of Tyrion and stood between us. Tyrion spat blood into the snow and pulled himself up.

"Why did it attack me?" Tyrion asked.

I shrugged, "Thought you were a threat, maybe. Or you just look like a grumkin."

To my surprise, Tyrion laughed.

"Gods, I do look like a grumkin." he muttered, picking up his books. I thought about his words for a moment, about the Wall.

"You're right about the Wall, aren't you." I said quietly. Tyrion looked at me and gravely nodded.

I stared at the ground, "If that is what it is, then so be it." I said, nodding to myself. If this were to be my fate, then I cannot run away from it.

Tyrion looked impressed, "Good, embracing the truth rather than denying it."

We walked back to the camp in silence. The men were just waking up, and Yoren was skinning some animal. The smell of stew filled my nose, and I felt my stomach growl in hunger.

Benjen looked at us in disapproval, "Do not go off again, Jon. We don't know what's out there." he said.

"I am sorry uncle." I told him. I glanced at Tyrion, who had sat on a rock, face contorted with pain. For a moment, I pitied the imp.

Benjen looked at where Lady Kiera slept, "You should wake her, we will be leaving soon. The quicker we travel through the woods, the better." he said, "Oh, and Jon?"

"Yes?"

"Don't get attached, you know the vows." he said sternly.

"I have no attachments." I replied, something small within me protested those words, but I ignored the feeling. No attachments.

He looked doubtful, but nodded nonetheless, "Good, keep it that way."

I walked over to where Kiera slept and gently shook her shoulder. She slowly opened her eyes and rolled over. I chuckled at her groggy state.

"Lady Kiera, you must wake up. We are breaking fast, then leaving." I told her.

She groaned and swatted my hand away.

"And I was just getting to the good part of the dream." she muttered bitterly. I laughed,

"Come, you can dream later." I said.

She sat up, pushing hair out of her face. I offered my hand, in which she took. I gently pulled her up, and looked her over. For the first time, I noticed the darkness under her eyes and the paleness of her skin. _She looks ill_. I thought.

"Come, you need to eat." I told her. She yawned and followed me to get stew. I poured myself a bowl, and then handed one to her.

"Thank you." she said quietly.

"Are you feeling well?" I asked. She looked uncertain for a moment.

"Not really." she confessed, "I think I just need sleep."

"Are you sure?" I asked.

She smiled a bit, "Yes." she said, but I was not reassured. When we reached the Wall, she will get proper treatment.

The others joined us and we ate quickly. We soon we were back on the road. Lady Kiera was silent, which told me she was sleeping. There wasn't any conversation, just the sound of wolves howling and horse's hooves in the snow. I let myself think about everything, the Wall, the sleeping woman on my back.

The men of the Night's Watch cannot take wives.

 **Kiera**

Days blended into each other, I stopped counting after a while. The snow became deeper, and the wolves stopped howling. We were close, that was all I knew. The nights were brutal, due to high winds and low temperatures. Making fires became difficult because of the rapid snowfall and the wind. Even though I was covered in layers, I still felt chilled to the bone.

Jon had absurdly offered me his cloak a few nights ago, to which I declined. He has become more protective than ever, watching me every second of the day.

"I am not fragile." I told him when he asked me how I felt for the thousandth time this morning.

He chuckled, "No, you are not. But you do need medicine." he said. _That I can agree with,_ I thought. I had no insight as to what could be wrong with me, because I rarely got sick growing up. I never got colds, or the flu. I was always strangely healthy. Kyle has theorized that my perfect healthy was due to my gifts, but we never could prove it.

I had been throwing up late at night, but I didn't tell Jon. He already had enough to worry about.

We had arrived.

After weeks of traveling, we stood at the gate of the massive Wall. Despite my sickness, I felt excitement buzzing through my body. I was ready to sleep in an actual bed, but more importantly, learn about myself.

There were shouts, and the black gate creaked open. We rode into the courtyard, where men in black clothing watched us with curiosity. Conversation of new recruits spread around the area. I had my hood on, as requested by Jon. He did not want to attract attention to me before I met Aemon Targaryen. The cover would not last for long, but it was better than nothing.

We dismounted as Benjen walked over to us,

"Welcome to Castle Black." he said.

* * *

 **A.N:** Sorry guys! I meant to get this chapter out shortly after the other one, but this week has been stressful and I have been struggling to find time to write. Even my stress is stressed.

Finally we have reached Castle Black! I think that Jon is meant to go to the Wall, I don't think he would be where he was without going to it, so that is why I kept with the storyline I guess. I'm sorry to those who don't like it. Also, I know these two chapters were just traveling, I promise it will get more interesting.

Anyways, thanks for reading! I always appreciate reviews.

See you soon.


	7. Chapter Six

6/21/17

Chapter 6: Homecoming

* * *

If looks could kill, I would surely be dead by now.

The fighting in the practice yard had stopped, and all the men stood and watched as we made our way to a set of stairs. I felt every eye on me, but I kept my head down. An older man stood at the top, his eyes slowly assessing us as we approached.

"Jeor Mormont, Commander of the Night's Watch." Jon muttered in my ear.

The man bowed to Tyrion, "Welcome, my lord." he said.

"Thank you, Lord Commander. I will not be staying long, just accompanying the new recruits" Tyrion replied.

"You are welcome to stay as long as you wish." Mormont said.

"Lord Commander, I've brought new recruits. This is my nephew, Jon Snow" Benjen said, gesturing to Jon and the boys.

"Welcome, Jon Snow. I'd imagine it is a significant difference from Winterfell here in Castle Black." Mormont said to Jon.

"It is true, my lord." Jon replied.

Mormont nodded at Yoren's boys, then turned to me. "And what business does this woman have here?" he asked. His words did not hold the harshness that I expected them to have.

I took down my hood, "My name is Kiera. I have a letter from Ned Stark for Aemon Targaryen, I am here to speak with him." I said.

Mormont eyed Benjen, "And speak with him you shall. Join us in the hall, the new recruits shall go down to the practice yard while arrangements are made for them."

I looked worriedly to Jon at the thought of being separated, but he only nodded at me in encouragement. I gave him a small smile and watched him walk with the other boys to the yard. They went back down to the practice, and I followed Benjen and Tyrion into the hall where other men sat.

Conversation drifted off when we entered the hall, and I felt the discomfort of everyone watching me as I took my seat.

"Gentlemen, we have guests. Lord Tyrion Lannister and Lady Kiera from the North. They will be staying with us temporarily." he said. The men bowed their heads to Tyrion. Mormont's words bothered me, _temporarily._ Where would I go after I spoke with the Targaryen man? I did not want to think about the outcome.

A raven flew down and landed near Mormont's elbow, "Guests" it squawked. I almost jumped out of my seat at the sound, but I kept my composure.

Food was served, and the men slowly began to shift their attention from me to Tyrion as he made conversation with them.

A door opened, and an elderly man with another at his side slowly entered the room. Chains hung from his body, and his eyes were clouded. _He is blind,_ I realized.

"Maester Aemon, welcome." Mormont said.

"We have guests, good." Aemon rasped. The table grew silent at his words, it seemed that the old man had a strong influence on the others. They listened to what he had to say.

Aemon turned his head towards me, as if he were actually looking at me.

"I would like to talk to our guest in my study." he said. He turned and left the hall, his chains rattling as he walked.

Mormont gestured at me to stand. I got up from my chair and followed him out of the hall.

"May I ask what you wish to speak with maester Aemon of?" he asked.

I bit my lip nervously, unsure of how to answer. "Personal matters." I replied, as vague as possible.

This seemed to satisfy Mormont however, and he remained silent as he led me through the halls. A chill rippled through my body, Castle Black was not warm like Winterfell. For a second, I missed it.

We were once outside again and walking to an end of a corridor that was separated from the castle.

Mormont turned to me as we approached the door, "I hope you find whatever you came for, my Lady." he said. I smiled and thanked him. When he walked away, I gently raised my hand to the door and knocked.

A quiet voice was heard through the other side, "Come in."

I opened the wooden door, and stepped into the study. The walls were lined with books, with a lit fireplace in the corner. I shuddered as the warmth of the fire spread through my body, I removed my cloak and set it down on a nearby chair.

A younger boy stood next to maester Aemon, helping him into a chair.

"I assume you are the guest, please take a seat." he told me.

"I have a letter from Ned Stark, I was told to deliver it to you." I said.

"Then we must read it." he replied, and then turned to the boy. "Leave us." he said. The boy left the room, and when the door was shut, I began to read the letter.

 _Maester Aemon,_

 _Among my brother's company is a girl by the name of Kiera Black. She is not from this realm, and possess gifts that are like no other. I know you have seen this before. Please help her adjust, and teach her of her history. It is of the utmost importance._

 _I wish you both the best,_

 _Ned Stark_

I finished reading and quietly placed the piece of parchment on the table and looked at maester Aemon.

"That is all of it." I told him.

"I would like to hear more about yourself, tell me."

I took a deep breath, and told him everything, from the moment I died to the minute I stepped inside Castle Black. I told him about my brother, my old life, my dead parents. It felt oddly relieving to share my story with someone else, like a weight was lifted off my chest.

Maester Aemon said nothing, until I was finished with my tale. "Fascinating." he marveled, "You truly are a child of the Moon."

"Ned told me little about them, only that there were others like me, but they were executed by the Mad King." I explained.

He nodded, "Every man, every woman, and every child were hunted down and killed who possessed the powers like yours. The few who managed to escape were presumed to be dead. By your arrival, that is not true." he said.

"So, there are others who could have survived?" I asked.

"The trait is passed through generations. Your parents were likely gifted." he said. I thought of the idea that my parents were just like me, and for a moment, I felt the pain of losing them.

After a moment, I spoke up again. "Ned said you know a man named Eddith. Before I died and came here, Eddith was standing over me. He only said his name."

This news took the maester by surprise. "Eddith?" he whispered.

"Yes, he said his name was Eddith Targaryen." I replied. As I said those words, the realization fell into place. Targaryen.

"He is alive then." maester Aemon said quietly.

"You both share the same last name." I began, "So, are you family?"

Many emotions crossed the maester's face, he looked sad. "Eddith was my brother."

I frowned, "How could he be your brother, he's yo-"

"He is young, yes. Eddith was powerful, he used his power to slow his aging. If you saw him then this means he has gotten stronger, surviving all these years." maester Aemon said.

"And what about me? Can I do that?" I asked.

"My dear, to understand yourself, you must learn to understand Eddith first." he began.

"My brothers- Aerion and Aegon- grew up separated from Eddith. He was not our mother's son, and therefore she kept him away from us most of our lives. Eddith was a troubled child. He had a dragon's temper, and he was impulsive. He would start fires by accident, or unintentionally inflict pain on those who opposed him. With age, his episodes grew worse. Every night he screamed from night terrors. He stopped eating and eventually sleeping. If he had the body of a regular human, he would've died within the week. But he lived on." Aemon said. I saw the uncanny parallel between Eddith and I, the anger and the episodes, the nightmares.

He continued on, "Our father locked him away. In his imprisonment, he fell in love with a servant, Reena. She visited his cell every day, and would stay by his side until the sun disappeared into the horizon. Only, Reena was not faithful. She abandoned Eddith after a while, and left him for another man. This tormented Eddith, and he let himself deteriorate because of it."

"One night, I secretly visited Eddith. I had not seen him in weeks, and when I saw him, he was a different man. His appearance was ragged, his eyes were the color of blood, and his body was covered in markings and bruises. Never in my life had I seen something more gruesome than what he looked like. I wanted to help him, so I promised to speak to our father about releasing him. I promised him I would get him out. That same night, I visited my father and plead with him to release Eddith. He declined. Upon hearing this, Eddith became enveloped in a fit of rage. He burned the guards alive and escaped from his cell. He hunted down Reena and her lover, and killed them both. Our father hunted Eddith to the ends of the earth, but we never found him. He was lost forever after that night."

"Will I end up like him?" I asked, a feeling of dread took over me.

The maester shook his head. "I do not believe you will. Eddith was troubled, he was never right. I believe being locked away drove him to insanity."

"You've barely just met me." I retorted.

He laughed, "I am almost a hundred years old, and I grew up in King's Landing. Do you not think I would have learned a thing or two about those around me?" he said.

I smiled at the old man, "I guess you are right. But why did I see Eddith before I died?"

"That I cannot answer. I have no knowledge of his whereabouts and your world. But do not fret about it, you are here and he is there. Though, I do not know how he ended up in your world." he said.

I finally asked the question that had been burdening my thoughts since my arrival, "Why was I brought here then?"

"I believe that it was no coincidence that you came into this world, Kiera Black. The gods have a plan for you." he said.

"So you're saying that it is fate."

The maester nodded, "There are dangers in this world. Winter is coming, and who knows what is coming with it. Long ago, your kind was bred to protect us. You were worshipped, then when my father took up his rule, he branded your kind as unnatural- the threat to mankind. After my father, the Mad King insured that the Children of the Moon were to be extinct. If you were brought here, then it means we need to be protected once more. You could be the weapon we need."

I sat there and processed his words, _a weapon._ The term made me feel equally dangerous and terrified.

"What if I don't want this?" I whispered.

"I cannot tell you what you want, you must decide that for yourself." he replied.

"I don't know what I want. Part of me wants to go home to Kyle, and apart of me wants to stay here."

"Have you wondered why you have not lost your mind yet?" he asked me.

I frowned, "What do you mean by that?"

"You were brought to another realm, a world nothing like your own, and you still have kept your head. You are adjusting well to everything. Do you not think that plays a part in this? You may have had a life there, but something tells me your soul belongs here." he said.

I was never religious, or remotely a believer in anything theoretical. I wanted to laugh at the ridiculousness of it all, "Look, I took your word about fate, but my soul? I find that hard to believe."

He did not look surprised at my doubtfulness. "Sometimes we must believe in the things we do not understand. I believe that you are meant for so much more in this world. The Children of the Moon were created in Westeros, I believe that your soul has found it's true home. This world is the origin of your creation."

"My home is with Kyle, though." I said sadly, a home that I probably will never see again.

Maester Aemon nodded in understanding, "What I would give to see my brothers again. You know, I am alone too. We are alike in many ways, Kiera. My family is gone, my old life is gone with them. Everyday my heart hurts because of what happened to my House. I could have sat on the Iron Throne and lived a very different life, but I am here. The maester of the citadel. Sometimes I wish to go back, but this is my home. These are my brothers. This is your home now too, as it has been all along. You know it in your heart." he said. I did not want to believe it, but a part of me wanted to. _This is your home now._

I failed to notice the tears running down my cheeks, I sniffed and wiped them lightly.

"Thank you." I whispered.

"Do not cry, my dear. There are better things to come."

I smiled, "You have been so kind to me. Thank you."

Maester Aemon bowed his head. "We can speak more of this in the morning, for now I think you should rest. Tomorrow, we will meet again and discuss more." he said.

"I think you are right about that, I am thoroughly exhausted." I laughed.

"I will escort you back to the hall, Commander Mormont should have a room ready for you by now."

And so we slowly made the walk to the hall, maester Aemon moved slower than a turtle. The torches lit the walls with a red light, making the snowflakes that fell around them glow. The night was dark, but the Wall was not invisible. The moon gave it an eerie white glow, but I could not see the top of it.

We arrived in the hall where the men were eating. The room was filled with conversation and the smell of stew. I spotted a familiar face amongst the crowd, Jon. I smiled, but he did not see me. He sat next to Tyrion, who looked drunk. The maester led me to Commander Mormont, who sat at a long table with other men at the front of the room.

"Maester, Lady Kiera." Mormont greeting, bowing his head.

"Lady Kiera is tired and wishes to rest." Aemon said. I noticed a man that sat next to Mormont, who kept staring at me. His stare was not friendly.

"Ah, yes. We have a room prepared for you. I hope it treats you well." he said.

"Thank you." I said, I wanted nothing more than to sleep in a bed instead of on the ground.

"And how long will the woman be staying with us?" the man next to Mormont asked.

"As long as she needs to." the maester replied. The man grew quiet, I refrained the urge to smirk at his silence.

"Do not mind Alliser, it has been a troubling day for him." Mormont said jokingly, but there was underlying warning in his voice that made Alliser sit up a bit straighter.

"A day it was, my apologies my Lady." Alliser told me, but I sensed no apology in his voice. I did not know why, but I sensed a bad feeling from Alliser.

"You should eat my Lady, it has been a long trip for you." Mormont said.

I nodded, "I will, thank you again for everything."

Mormont raised his cup to me, and I walked away. I headed to the back of the room, where Jon and Tyrion sat.

"Ah, there's our girl." Tyrion shouted. I winced at his loudness, the other men turned and stared as I sat next to Jon. Jon turned to me and smiled, despite the cold glares he received.

"Hello, Lady Kiera." he greeted.

"Hello to you." I replied, grinning. It felt nice to be reunited with a familiar face after today.

"And what about me?" Tyrion asked, puffing out his lip in mock sadness.

I laughed at his facial expression, "Hello to you too, Tyrion."

"You will have to forgive the Lannister, he has had too much wine." Jon muttered.

Tyrion looked offended, "There is no such thing as 'too much wine', Snow." He stood, wobbling a bit. I bit back my laugh as he grabbed the table for support. Grasping his cup, he nodded at me then left to join Commander Mormont and the other men at their table.

Jon shook his head at Tyrion, "He has no self control."

I shrugged, "What else is he supposed to do, but tell me about your day. How was it?"

Jon grimaced, "It was fine."

"Doesn't look like it was." I said. Jon looked worn.

Jon pushed his spoon around his bowl, "These men were not what I expected them to be. They have no honor. They cannot wield a sword, what good are they? And they all hate me. Alliser has already mocked me. Lannister was right." he spat bitterly.

I placed my hand on his forearm, "It will get better."

He gently pulled his arm away, "Maybe it will." he said quietly.

I frowned at him rejecting my touch, but then I quickly realized why. The men stared at us and whispered, I was probably making it worse for Jon.

"I'm sorry, I forgot where we were for a second. I won't do it again." I muttered awkwardly.

Jon's eyes widened and he shook his head, "Please do not apologize, Lady Kiera. I did not mean any ill will."

I smiled, of course. "It is fine, don't worry."

"Tell me about your day, what did you find out?." he asked.

I looked around uncertainly, there were many who were in earshot. "Can we talk somewhere else?" I whispered. He nodded,

"Come, we will go to the armory then."

We exited the hall, and he led me through the dark and into the dimly lit armory.

"Will you get in trouble for this?" I asked.

Jon shrugged, "The men are still eating, we can have a few minutes before I have to go to quarters with the rest of the new recruits. But tell me, what did maester Aemon say?"

"Well, as you know, a man named Eddith was with me before I died and came here. I found out that Eddith is maester Aemon's brother, and he is just like me." I said.

Jon's eyes widened, "So there are more of you."

"Not anymore, they were all murdered under the Mad King's rule. Eddith went insane and escaped, and somehow he ended up in my world, and I in yours. He told me that my kind was created here, and maybe this was all an act of fate to bring me back to my real home. I still don't know what I should bellieve." I said.

Jon looked sympathetic, "Believe in what you feel is right. Do you want to know what I believe?" he asked.

"What?"

"I believe that you were brought here by the gods for a purpose. And I do believe that this your home, because you fit so well into our lives. I hope that you will someday feel the same, Lady Kiera." His words held so much emotion that it took me by surprise.

"Thank you, Jon. I just need time to adjust." I said. He gave me a small smile in return.

"Of course." He glanced over my shoulder at the hall, "We should leave before anyone finds us here."

I nodded, "Oh and Jon?"

"Yes?"

I smiled, "Maybe someday you can just call me Kiera."

He blushed a bit, "Someday. Goodnight, my Lady." he said, then turned and walked out of the armory.

* * *

Hello everyone! I really did not feel like writing today, but I watched the new Game of Thrones season 7 trailer and fell back into the world of GoT. I am beyond excited for the new season, may just throw a watch party for it. Hmm.

Am I the only one who gets emotional over maester Aemon? I love his character so much, and it saddnes me that he is no longer with us. Rest in peace Peter Vaughan :(

P.S. When I first wrote this, I guess I was very unclear about the background of Kiera. I am going to start getting into her origins in the next few chapters, but if you see something that is confusing, just ask me! I will be happy to revise and clear up confusion. I have also changed things up with their powers and such, but I will get into that later.

See you soon!


	8. Chapter Seven

06/22/17

Chapter 7: Castle Black

* * *

I awoke in a cold sweat, _another nightmare._ I was back on the mountaintop, staring at a white face in the snow.

I threw off the heavy fur blanket and rose from the bed. After Jon had left, Commander Mormont had escorted me to my room, which happened to be next to Tyrion's. It was small, with some furniture and a fireplace, but I was not complaining. Anything was better than the ground.

I took out my clothes from my pack and braided my hair back, a knock sounded at my door. I opened it and found Tyrion.

"Goodmorning Tyrion." I greeted.

He bowed, "My Lady, I am on my way to break fast. Would you care to accompany me?" he asked. I noticed his hair was mussed, and dark circles ran under his eyes. He hadn't slept either.

"Um, yes. Hang on." I said, I grabbed Jon's cloak and clipped it around my neck.

I shut the door, and together we made our way down to the hall.

"How are you liking Castle Black?" he asked.

"It's cold." I replied. He chuckled, "I agree, I would've preferred a warmer place."

"Then why did you come here?" I asked.

"I wanted to see the Wall, and take a piss off of it." he said. I stared at him, and his face looked dead serious. Despite my drowsiness, I laughed.

"Not what I was expecting, but okay."

Tyrion shrugged, "I never said it was a good reason."

We arrived at the hall, and Tyrion led me to the back where we grabbed our plates of food. It did not look horrible, just bread and some mushy substance with meat. I grabbed a cup and filled it with water, while Tyrion took ale.

I glanced around the hall, but Jon was nowhere to be seen.

"Looking for someone?" Tyrion asked.

"Jon" I muttered.

Tyrion nodded, "Ah, the boy. He will probably be in shortly."

We ate in silence, partly because I was starving and partly due to my lack of sleep. I watched the other men, and ignored the stares. Most of them looked angry and dirty. I had no idea what the Wall was before we came here, but these men were not what I imagined. Seeing them faintly reminded me of the men who followed me through the allies before I died, and it made me feel uneasy.

Jon and Benjen strolled into the hall, deep in conversation. Jon's eyes met mine, but he turned back to Benjen.

"You know, you are probably the first woman apart from his family that Jon has ever spoken to, let alone formed a friendship with." Tyrion said.

"Really?" I asked curiously.

"Being a bastard in Winterfell does not exactly attract the attention of women. Robb however…" he trailed off.

"Oh, well I'm not interest-" I began, but Tyrion interrupted me. "No, not like that I see. Well, it does not matter. In a few weeks, Jon will swear his vows and be bound to the Night's Watch."

I felt myself blushing, my irritation growing at the small man. "What do you mean by that?" I demanded. Tyrion must have noticed my agitation, and he smiled apologetically.

"Forgive me, I say what I think. When a man becomes a brother of the Night's Watch, they cannot marry, or father a child. Completely explains why the men are so angry here because they-"

I groaned, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Alright, I get it."

Tyrion smiled apologetically, "Forgive me, I say what I think." His face then grew serious, "But be careful, my Lady. These men are not honorable, you saw what traveled with us. They are not like Jon, do not not go by yourself unprotected. These may be brothers of the Night's Watch, but you cannot forget who they were before they came here." he whispered.

I looked around at the men, feeling anxious. "I will take your advice." I said.

He patted my hand, "I do not think that the boy would let anything happen to you, so do not fret."

As we finished our meals, I thought about what Tyrion said. _The men of the Night's Watch cannot marry._ Jon was my friend, nothing more. He will soon be swearing a vow and becoming a man of the watch.

"Just a friend." I muttered. Somehow, those words felt wrong. _Stop this Kiera, it is not happening._

"Did you say something?" Tyrion asked.

"I need to speak with maester Aemon. Thank you for keeping me company." I said. Tyrion raised his eyebrows, but said nothing.

I exited the hall and found my way to maester Aemon's study. I knocked on the door.

"Come in." he called.

I opened the door and smiled, "Goodmorning maester." I said.

"Ah, Lady Kiera. I did not expect you so early." he replied. "Nonetheless, all the welcome."

"I just wanted to continue our conversation." I said, sitting in the chair across from him. "How were the Children of the Moon created?" I asked.

"Well, the story goes that the Seven gods created them with fire and the full moon. It is unknown of the real origin, your kind had walked the earth for centuries before mankind settled here." he explained.

"So, are we like, immortal?" I asked.

Maester Aemon shook his head, "You are not, but if Eddith managed to survive this long, he must be using something to keep himself alive and young."

"What could he possibly be doing? Even in my time immortality is unachieveable."

He sighed, "I do not know. Whatever it is, it is dark."

"You said before that this trait is hereditary, does this mean my parents were like me as well?"

"I would assume them to be so. What is interesting is that your brother does not possess any abilities. If your father possessed the trait, it would have been passed down to his son." maester Aemon said. I thought about it for a moment, and it did not make any sense. I knew Kyle had no abilities, he told me.

Maester Aemon continued, "If your brother does not have the trait, then that would mean that biologically he is not your blood."

I frowned, "No. Kyle is my brother. I know it, he would have told me." I was certain of this.

Maester Aemon looked sympathetic, "Was there record that he was legitimately your brother?" he asked. I shook my head, there had never been papers. We never any had documents of our birth.

"Oh my god." I muttered, it made sense. Kyle and I did not look alike at all. There were no documents of his birth, and my birth parents had the trait, but he did not. Kyle was not my brother.

"I am sorry." Maester Aemon said. I shook my head, "It is not your fault. Please, I need to know everything. It just surprised me, that is all. I think nothing less of him. Kyle will always be family, even if he never told me the truth."

He nodded, "Good. I want to give something to you. I have a diary of Eddith's. He wrote it when he was imprisoned. It would be useful to read it." he felt around the table for the book, and held it out for me.

I took it in my hands, it was a small journal that looked worn with time. "Thank you, what is in it?" I asked.

"I do not know. I never read it, and now I cannot. If you would not mind, could you tell me what you find?"

"Of course." I said automatically. He wanted to know more about his brother, and my heart went out to him.

"I would like to ask you, how much control do you have over your powers?" he said.

I shrugged, "Kyle always practiced meditation with me, mainly I kept my powers dormant. I could light candles, move things for a split second, but nothing dangerous. Not like what Eddith did."

Maester Aemon frowned, "Your brother kept you restrained. You have the ability to do so much more, Kiera."

"I never needed to. I always wanted to fit in, because everyone treated me differently." I admitted. Kyle always taught me to have restraint. I never had the desire to do more with myself. In school, I was the outcast.

"I want you to read the diary, your kind has the ability to do so much more than light a candle." he said.

"I will make sure to read it." I promised, and I would. I wanted to know more about Eddith, and about myself.

"Is there anything else you would like to talk about?" he asked. I thought for a moment, "What will I do here? I do not think the men like me very much."

"For the time being, you can stay here at Castle Black and adjust. I will do my best to show you your abilities, but I can only do so much. Your powers come from within. If you do not want this, then it will not work. The men are wary of you because you are a woman, give it time and things will get better. If you choose to stay, I will speak with Commander Mormont. You can work, but you cannot swear vows."

"I can cook, or help you. Anything really. I just have nowhere else to go, except Winterfell. But even then, it would not be the same without-" I trailed off, _Jon._ I thought. _It would not be the same without Jon. And of course, Arya and Ned have gone to King's Landng. I would be by myself._

"You are close with Jon Snow." maester Aemon stated matter of factly.

"He knows what I am, and he is the one who rescued me from the woods when I came here. So yes, I am close with him." I replied simply.

"I assumed. He is quite the swordsman I have heard. Sir Alliser was speaking of how he took down every boy who came at him yesterday." he said. I smiled to myself, he _was_ talented with a sword.

I suddenly thought of something, "Can I train also? Ned gave me a sword before I left, and if I am to stay here, I would like to learn how to fight."

"Well, we have never had a woman train at the Wall before. It is not custom." he said uncertainly.

I rolled my eyes, "You say that I am this great weapon, but how great will I be if I do not know how to fight? I cannot be defenseless, couldn't you speak with Commander Mormont about it? I could work with Jon."

Maester Aemon thought for a moment, "Sir Alliser is the man who trains new recruits, you would train with him. I could speak with Commander Mormont, it is uncertain as to if he would agree or not."

"Thank you." I said. I moved toward him and gently wrapped my arms around his shoulders, he was taken by surprise, but he slowly patted my back in return. When I pulled away, he was smiling.

"You want to, what?" Jon asked incredulously after I proposed my training idea. We were eating dinner in the hall; Tyrion sat across from us, surprisingly silent.

"I think it would be useful, learning how to fight if I am to stay here for a while." I replied.

Jon shook his head, "Sir Alliser will not allow it."

"He will if Mormont makes him." I said pointedly. I looked at Tyrion for any kind of assistance.

"If I may interject, although it is unaccustomed for women to fight, Lady Kiera is the only woman here. She will need to learn to protect herself. I believe it is a good idea." Tyrion explained.

"The Wall has never trained a woman."

I rolled my eyes, "God Jon, stop being such a man."

Tyrion watched us with a smirk on his face, "Yes Jon" he said mockingly, "don't be such a man."

Jon shot a glare at Tyrion, who only raised his cup of wine, then looked at me with uncertainty. "These men are dangerous."

"And so am I." I countered. Jon's eyes widened, and I momentarily panicked at what I just said.

Thankfully, Tyrion laughed, and had no idea at the underlying meaning of my words. "She has fire in her. Very stubborn."

Jon sighed, "I will help you, just watch out for Alliser. He is not kind."

I grinned, "I believe he doesn't like me very much."

"Alliser does not like anyone, it's his job." Tyrion added.

"Have you spoken to Commander Mormont about it?" Jon asked, ignoring Tyrion.

I shook my head. "Not yet, I needed you two to agree first." I looked at Tyrion and gave him my best smile, "Tyrion, we have become good acquaintances, and I trust that you can put in a good word for me. Will you please talk with Mormont? Maester Aemon agreed also."

Tyrion narrowed his eyes. "Flattery does not work on me. I am the one who flatters, not the one who is flattered."

I feigned shock, "I was not conducting any flattery of the sort."

Tyrion grunted and stood up, "I will speak to Commander Mormont." he said begrudgingly.

"Thank you." I called as he walked away. He waved his hand at me above his head.

"You want to train like a man yet you use the tricks of a woman." Jon said in amazement.

I laughed, "Only when it is necessary."

"The men are not going to like it if Mormont agrees."

"What does it matter if they like it or not. I can do what I want." I replied. _The men can piss off._

"I just worry for your safety." he admitted.

I looked at him and cocked my head, "You know, if you continue to frown it will be permanently stuck on your face."

He shook his head at me and chuckled, but worry still remained in his eyes.

"And don't worry about me. You have enough to handle. I can take care of myself. Been doing it for twenty one years." I assured him.

"You're twenty one?" he asked incredulously.

I nodded, "Surprised?"

"You don't look it."

I laughed, "I didn't know twenty one was an old age."

"No, that is not what I meant. You just look younger, that is all." he said quickly.

"I got that often, I have a baby face." I admitted.

"A baby face?"

"A young face." I clarified. He nodded in understanding.

"My father told me I look older." Jon said, sitting up a bit straighter. I bit back a grin of how much a boy he really was.

"But I am still older than you." I teased, and Jon's ears grew hot.

"But can you wield a sword?" he replied, grinning a bit.

I swatted his arm, "Fine. You win."

Tyrion walked back over to where we were seated and pointed to me, "You." he said. "Come, Commander Mormont wants to speak with you." I glanced at Jon and stood up.

"What about Jon?" I asked Tyrion. He sighed in annoyance and gestured to Jon, "I guess he can be useful."

We walked over to where Mormont sat. Alliser looked annoyed, but I ignored him.

"Commander Mormont." I greeted.

"I hear you wish to train." he inquired. I nodded,

"If I am to stay here, I would like to put myself to use. I can cook, or do anything you need help with. I just would like to learn some self defense." I said. Alliser scoffed.

"You are a woman, we train _men_ of the Night's Watch." he said pointedly.

"If Maester Aemon encourages it, then she should be allowed." he told Alliser patiently. He turned to me, "You will train in Jon's group, and at the same level of the others."

I inwardly jumped for joy, "Thank you Commander Mormont, I appreciate it greatly." I said with utmost gratitude.

He nodded, "And as for a cook, we could use another set of hands in the kitchen."

"I will do anything you need me to." I said.

Alliser looked royally pissed off, but I didn't care. If this is to be my home, I need to learn how to protect myself.

Mormont clapped his hands together, "It has been settled then, you will start tomorrow with the other new recruits."

Alliser was outright gawking at Mormont at this point. I suppressed my laugh and thanked Mormont once again before I left the hall with Jon and Tyrion.

"What did you say to Commander Mormont to get him to agree to this?" Jon asked Tyrion.

"I made a bargain. He lets our Lady train, and I speak to my father about sending more men to the Wall. He didn't even blink an eye." Tyrion said casually.

I gave Tyrion a grateful smile. "I appreciate it nonetheless."

He bowed and bid us farewell for the night, leaving Jon and I by ourselves in the snow. We were both quiet for a moment, neither knowing what to say.

"I should get some rest, since tomorrow begins training." I said.

"That would be wise, may I take you back to your chambers?"

Together, we walked through Castle Black until we reached my chambers.

"Thank you." I said as we stood by my door.

He gave me a small smile in the dark, "Goodnight, Lady Kiera."

As he turned to go, I grabbed his arm. "Come in for a bit, I want to tell you what happened today." I said.

Jon looked at me uncertainly, "I-"

"I won't take long." I said.

He sighed and walked in with me, making sure nobody saw, I gently shut the door and locked it.

Jon sat in the chair towards the fireplace. "Tell me."

I took off my cloak and sat on the bed, "Maester Aemon told me that my parents had the trait. It is passed through generations, so the Mad King did not execute them all. He also gave me Eddith's diary, which I have yet to open."

"But you said your brother does not have the trait?"

I bit my lip, "Kyle is not my real brother, maester Aemon said he would have had the trait if he was my parent's son." I said quietly.

"I am sorry." he replied.

"It's fine. I still love him dearly." As the words left my mouth, I felt the knot in my stomach. "I just miss him." I whispered.

Jon looked at me helplessly, "Lady Kiera…"

I smiled and tilted my head back to avoid the tears pooling from falling down my cheeks. "Sorry, I am alright now."

"What about the book?" Jon asked, changing the subject.

I picked up my cloak and retrieved it from one of the hidden folds. It was small and worm, with many tears and scratches adorning the cover and spine.

"Shall we read a page?" I said. He stood and took a seat next to me on the bed, the cot dipped under his weight.

I opened the journal to the first intact page, the pages before it were torn and missing, and the handwriting was hardly legible.

"Let me." Jon muttered quietly. Gently taking the book from my hands, he began to read the inscription.

 _It has been days since they have imprisoned me._

 _The guards stand outside, but nobody has come. I feel that nobody will ever come._

 _I pray to the gods every day for a release, they barely sustain me. In the corner, there is a bucket to shit in, but nothing more. I do not sleep. I do not drink._

 _I cannot-_

At the end of the page were dark drops, blood maybe?

Jon finished and looked at me. "How long was he imprisoned?"

I shrugged. "He implied that it was for weeks. I do not know exactly."

"Do you want to read more?" he asked.

I shook my head. "Not tonight."

He stood and looked around, "I hope to have this one day. Sleeping with the men isn't ideal." he said bitterly.

I grimaced. "I'm sorry, you have Ghost though."

He smiled a bit, "I do have Ghost."

"When do you get to see the Wall?" I asked curiously.

"Tomorrow night I take my first watch. Will you join me?" he asked, his face perking up a bit.

I smiled at the offer. "I'd like nothing more."

Jon glanced at the door, "Forgive me, but I should leave. Mormont will kill me."

"Don't apologize, I understand. I don't want you to get in trouble."

I stood to show him out, but suddenly I felt light headed. Swaying, I grabbed the table for support. Jon rushed over and grabbed my shoulders.

"Lady Kiera?" he asked uncertainly.

"I'm fine." I breathed. I rubbed my forehead as the room spun.

"You should lie down." Jon said, still grasping my shoulders.

"Okay." I muttered, but as soon as I took a step, I felt my legs give out. Jon caught me again as I nearly hit the ground.

"Lady Kiera!" he exclaimed.

Even though Jon was right next to me, it seemed as if he were miles away. Suddenly, I was not in my room anymore. I was in a cell, it was cold with no light except the torch outside in the hall. A man lay, cloaked by the darkness.

"Hello?" I whispered.

The man jerked his head up and stood.

"It worked." said the man, he came closer to me and I was able to make out his face.

I gasped as the icy blue eyes stared into my own, "Eddith?" I whispered.

He grinned. "Kiera. We meet again."

"This is a dream. I am dreaming." I said to myself, it is all in my head. I just needed to wake up.

Eddith's grin grew wider, "It is in your head, but it is not a dream."

I narrowed my eyes. "Get out of my head."

"But that would ruin the fun."

I shoved him against the wall, but he was stronger. He grabbed my wrist and squeezed it. I cried out in pain. "Do not do that again." he snarled. I yanked my hand free and ran to the bars.

"Help me!" I cried out to the guards, but they did not turn around.

I shook the bars, but nothing happened. It seemed as if they weren't even there.

"Are you finished?" Eddith asked mildly. He leaned against the back wall of the cell, arms crossed.

"What even if this? What do you want?" I asked.

He held up a finger, "One thing at a time. You are in my mind. I reached out to you through my journal, when you opened it, you opened the link between us. We are in the place that I was imprisoned in, and you cannot leave until I _allow_ it."

I opened and closed my mouth, unsure of what to say. I couldn't run, because there is nowhere to go. _Trapped just like he was._ I thought.

"Precisely." he said.

"How can you read my mind?" I snapped.

"I can do a lot of things.": He replied vaguely.

"How?"

He laughed, "Eager. I taught myself over the decades. Once I escaped Westeros, gave me time to find myself. I grew powerful over the years, jumped from place to place. Adapted to modern life."

"Where do I fit into all this then?" I asked.

"You are special, you are like me. I was curious about you, so I observed you for years. Don't you remember me?" he said, his voice held a certain irony that I could not catch on to. I shook my head.

"Let me show you, then."

We weren't standing in a cell anymore, we were now standing in a classroom. I saw myself, and next to me sat Eddith. Then, we were at a party. Eddith was there too. He took me through his visions, and in every one, I was in it.

I frowned, I could not recall ever meeting him until the day I died.

"I don't remember you." I said, we stood back in the cell now; trapped.

"That is because I made you forget." he explained.

I stared at him, "But, why?"

"It was not time yet. But now, it is. I need your help, Kiera." He said.

"Why would I help you?"

He smiled, "Because it will benefit you also. Have you thought about Kyle, what he must be going through? He has been a wreck, police found your body- scorched. They identified you, and contacted Kyle the next day. He cried for days."

I grimaced at his words, my heart hurting for Kyle. _Oh, what he must be going through._ I thought sadly.

"You could see him again." Eddith added. My eyes widened, "Are you telling the truth?" I whispered.

"You tell me, does it feel like I am?" he said. He stepped closer and backed me against the wall. He took my hand and placed it against his chest. My uneasiness disappeared, and I felt a warm comforting feeling.

"Yes." I said quietly.

 _Good._ He whispered in my head. He still held my hand against his chest, and suddenly a new memory clouded my mind.

 _I was walking down the street, when a blonde headed man approached me. I quickly realized it was the man at the party. It was Eddith._

" _So you're stalking me now?" I asked._

 _He laughed, "Maybe." Then his expression turned serious. "Do not move." he muttered, looking straight into my eyes. My body went frozen. I wanted to panic, but something told me not to. Eddith stepped closer until our noses were almost touching. I felt his breath on my lips, and the thought of kissing him flooded into my mind._

 _He smirked and crushed his lips against my own._

 _Kiss me back. He whispered. Without hesitation, I did. He pushed me against a store window and pulled my body flush against his own. I did not want to pull away, I liked it too much._

I gasped and jerked my hand away in disgust.

Eddith had both of his arms braced against the wall on either side of my head. His face was uncomfortably close to mine, and once again his eyes pierced into my own.

"What the hell." I said breathlessly.

"That was a memory that surfaced." he said.

I ducked under his arms and backed against the opposite wall, wanting to put as much space between us as possible.

"You _mindtricked_ me." I shouted. I felt so violated, wishing that I the memory would have strayed forgotten.

"You liked it." Eddith replied, grinning. I shuddered at how dark his expression was, fire mixed with desire. Eddith was dangerous, and I needed to get out.

"I am not helping you." I snapped. Eddith was lying about Kyle, he was mind tricking me into believing him. He could make me believe anything, but it wasn't real.

"You cannot get out, not without me." he said.

I ran to the bars, shaking them once more. I heard his laugh behind me, but I blocked it out. _Focus,_ I told myself. I imagined Westeros. Castle Black. Jon.

The bars suddenly opened. I pushed them out and closed them as soon as I was out of the cell. Eddith screamed and threw himself at the bars.

"GET BACK HERE." he snarled. When I looked at him, I saw the man in the cell. Dehumanized and deteriorated. His clothes were ragged, and his eyes were the color of blood.

I turned and ran away, _Jon_. I thought.

Eddith's screams grew softer until they faded out entirely.

"Lady Kiera?" Jon whispered as I came to my senses. I felt his hand on my cheek. I opened my eyes and looked up at his face.

"Jon." I said, relief coursing through my body at the sight of him.

"I was so worried, seven hells. You were out for hours. I did not want to leave you alone, so I stayed here. You weren't waking up."

I smiled faintly. "I'm alright now."

"What happened?" he asked.

My smile disappeared and I sat up slowly. Jon held his hand on my back as he helped me up.

"I saw Eddith." I said to him.

Jon looked confused. "I do not understand?"

"Remember when I fainted at the feast in Winterfell? I had a vision, and that is what happened just now, but only Eddith was the one who triggered it. The journal allowed him to connect to my mind, and he dragged me into his. He said he needed my help, but I couldn't believe him. And he-" I trailed off, uncertain if I should mention the fact that he has been stalking me and kissed me.

Jon looked at me in complete bewilderment. "I cannot imagine how that is possible."

"I can't either." I said. "Nothing makes sense. I was in his mind, but I managed to get out."

Jon said nothing, he only rested his hand at my back.

"I need to speak to maester Aemon." I said suddenly, jumping to my feet. Jon caught me just as I stumbled. The room was still spinning.

"You need to rest my Lady. You are not well." Jon insisted.

"I will rest when I find out what the hell just happened."

I grabbed the diary and threw it into the flames. "And I do not want another visit from Eddith." I growled.

Jon stood with his hands out, as if ready to catch me again. "Your wrist." he exclaimed suddenly.

I glanced down at my arm, bruising was forming around my wrist. Around where Eddith grabbed me. If it was all in his head, then why are there markings on my wrist?

I pulled on my cloak in urgency. "I need to speak to maester Aemon, now."

* * *

Thanks for reading!

After I posted the previous chapter, I wrote ten pages right after. Then, I left it alone for a few days because I did not have time to sit down and write. I didn't even imagine writing the last part with Eddith, it just happened honestly. Let me know how I'm doing! Things will get interesting from now on :))


	9. Chapter Eight

7/13/17

Chapter Eight: The Chapter That Has No Title

* * *

We practically ran to maester Aemon's study. Surprisingly, he was still awake. I had breathlessly explained my freakish encounter with Eddith, which had shocked him. This was something neither of us had anticipated.

"He has grown stronger if he can reach out to you." he said after some long moment. I looked over to Jon, who had not stopped pacing since we arrived. I glanced down at my bruised wrist, a physical example of how strong the connection to Eddith had been, since he could harm me through a mental link.

"Can he do it again? I burned the diary." I asked, but maester Aemon did not answer. He was too lost in his own thoughts to consider.

"You said that it created a link between him and you when you opened it, burning the book destroys the connection." Jon replied. His eyes were full of determination and anger. I could not decipher if it was at me, or Eddith. Possibly both. I did not mention the kiss to maester Aemon, and I was glad I did not. That was something that I would keep private.

Maester Aemon finally spoke, "Let us pray you are correct, Jon Snow. If he returns to Westeros, I fear nothing good would become of it. Eddith is a vengeful man. He will go after every family of every house and seek his revenge."

Jon clinched his fist. "Lady Kiera will be the first he would target." he growled.

Maester Aemon nodded sadly, "That is why it is a good thing you burned the diary, Miss Black."

"Is that the only thing of Eddith's that you have?" I asked suddenly. Eddith used the diary as a platform to communicate with me, he could possibly use something else he has an attachment with to do it again.

Maester Aemon shook his head. "I own nothing more of his. Our father burned all of his possessions." he explained. Another look of despair crossed his features, it truly pained the maester to talk about his family.

"Then he cannot return. It is done." Jon said.

Maester Aemon sighed, "It is done." he repeated. "The both of you need to rest now, I believe I have had enough for tonight."

I stood up from the chair. "Of course." I said. "I will see you tomorrow, thank you maester." Jon bid the maester good night, and we walked back towards my room.

"Will you be all right now?" Jon asked me as we approached the door.

I paused, _would I be all right? Would he haunt my dreams again?_ I did not know, so I took a breath. "Will you stay, until I fall asleep? Just as a precaution."

Jon looked like he was fighting some internal battle with himself, but after a short moment he responded. "Just as a precaution, yes."

I smiled gratefully, when we entered, I took off my heavy cloak and set it on the chair. I stepped into the small washroom and shut the door, suddenly aware that Jon would see me in my night clothes. I quickly changed into the dress I slept in and let my braid loose, my black strands falling behind my back.

I cautiously stepped out of the washroom. Jon sat in the chair, staring into the fire. When he saw me, his eyes widened slightly. He turned his head away to hide his face. He too had removed his cloak and outer layers, leaving just his black tunic. For a moment, I admired the contrast of his pale skin to his dark clothing, then I blushed out of embarrassment. _Stop it._

"I cannot stay for long." he began.

I smiled. "I will not keep your for too long."

I climbed into the bed and pulled the furs up to my chin. Jon watched me with an unreadable expression plaguing his face.

"What's wrong?" I asked quietly.

"Nothing. Go to sleep." he muttered, shaking his head.

I offered him a small smile before shutting my eyes.

I didn't have any nightmares that night.

* * *

"Which sword should I use?" I asked Jon, staring at the display of weapons in the armory.

"Any." he said mildly. "They are all blunt and heavy."

I looked over at him tying his armor. We were the only two left, all of the others had gone out to begin training. I picked up a sword and grimaced from the weight of it. The sword Ned had given me held weight, but it was much lighter than what was in my hands.

Jon finished tying his armor then handed me one of my own.

"How do you put this on?" I asked, staring at the heap of leather.

Jon chuckled. "Here," he said. "Hold out your arms."

He slide the leather between my arms and tied the strings. I felt my body sink under the weight of the armor.

"Heavy." I muttered.

Jon stood up and dusted his gloves off. "I would rather you be heavily armored than bloody." he said.

I smiled, "Thank you."

He nodded and picked up his own sword. "Come, before Alliser kills us. Don't want him hating you on the first day."

I frowned, "I think he already hates me."

"He is foolish then."

Together, we walked into the training yard. The men watched us with wary eyes. I held my sword and chin a little higher as their stares shifted from Jon to me.

I suddenly heard a murmur, "A bastard and a bitch." the voice said, followed by a snicker.

I snapped my head around, looking for the face that spoke the words, but all the men were out of earshot. I frowned at the comment, I couldn't have possibly heard that. _Maybe it is another freakish gift that you are just now discovering._

We approached our training group where Sir Alliser Throne stood. His glare followed me and Jon as we stood with the other men.

"It appears Lord Snow and his Lady decide when they are going to show up to training." Alliser sneered. Jon tensed beside me.

I fought the urge to narrow my eyes. Instead, I smiled. "My apologies, Sir Alliser." I said as cheerfully as I could muster.

He ignored me and went on to talk about handling a sword. Based on the looks of the group, none of the men had ever held a sword before.

Alliser clapped his hands together. "You two." he gestured to the men. They hesitantly stepped in the middle of the circle. One held the sword like a dagger, while the other dragged it on the ground.

"Hold it like you mean it." Alliser barked.

The smaller one charged at the larger, but he did not last long. The larger man hit him in the chest, causing him to fall to the ground. There were chuckles from the others.

"Next" Alliser said, gesturing to two more men.

After the other two fought it out, Jon and another male about his size were up. It was painfully obvious that Jon was skilled with a blade. I watched his movements, knowing that I would be next. As they fought, I looked at my partner. He was skinny, but tall. He had the height advantage.

Jon beat his partner, and watched as he fell to the ground.

Alliser then turned to me, with a subtle smirk on his face. I felt the pit in my stomach drop as I stepped into the circle. Jon looked at me worriedly, as if he wanted to say something. I shook my head at him and turned to my partner. I held my sword as Jon did, though it was harder because I had never been used to such weight.

The man came at me head on, and I ducked, narrowly missing his blow. He too held the sword like a dagger. I pivoted my foot and turned around, but it was too late. He kicked my leg and sent me flying backwards. My sword flew out of my hand and I landed on my back.

Again, the men snickered. I felt a hand pulling me up- Jon of course.

"You alright?" he muttered as he pulled me up. I nodded tensely, I was probably proving Alliser right.

For hours, the practice continued. We took turns fighting, and Jon broke a man's nose. Alliser barked orders, and we practiced in pairs. I split with Jon, as he tried to teach me as much as allowed in the given time before we fought each other again.

"You move too slow." he muttered, Alliser was watching us intently. I was sure he did not appreciate Jon teaching.

I quickened my pace and moved from left to right. Jon came at me, and I moved forward to block his blow. When our swords clashed, I felt the vibrations through my entire body. He had a lot more force to his attacks.

"Always be on the defense, and know your attacker." Jon began. "You are shorter and quicker than most, you can use that to your advantage. You can easily defeat that man you fought, because he is taller. Go for his legs next time."

I nodded, trying to absorb all of the information. To my disliking, Alliser called the group back together and we began to fight each other again. Jon had punched his partner in the nose, causing him to bleed.

I stepped into the circle once again, sword raised.

The man came at me, I ducked and ran around him.

 _Move your feet._ I told myself. I pivoted just as his sword came crashing down by my leg. I turned and hit him as hard as I could in the knees. He let out a yelp and fell the ground. I looked at Jon, and I could have sworn underneath his placid expression there was fierce pride in his eyes.

Alliser- to my surprise- said nothing.

"That's enough for today. Go back to work." he yelled at the lot of us. I was not sure what I was supposed to be doing, so I thought I would go to the kitchen and see if anything needed to be cleaned.

"I'll take your sword back." Jon said, as he came up to me. I smiled and handed him the blade. "Thank you."

"Good job. We will practice later." he told me. I grinned, "Sounds like a date."

He looked perplexed. "A what?"

I laughed and walked away. "Nothing" I called over my shoulder.

 **Jon**

"Broke my nose, Bastard." Grenn snarled from behind me. I put the sword back into the holder and turned around.

"It's an improvement" I replied.

The men charged at me, and Grenn held a sword to my throat.

"Throw you over the Wall, I wonder how long it will take you to hit."

"I wonder if they'd find you before the wolves did" Pyp added.

"Or maybe, we'll toss 'em both. The bastard and his bitch."

I spat at Grenn, "Touch her and you'll die."

The door opened, and Tyrion walked in.

Grenn loosened his grip and turned around, "What are you looking at, half man?"

Tyrion raised his eyebrows, "I'm looking at you." he said. "Yes. You've got an interesting face. Hm, very distinctive faces, all of you."

"And what you care about our faces?"

"It's just I think they would look marvelous decorating spikes in King's Landing. Perhaps I'll write my sister- the Queen- about it." Tyrion replied. The men backed away, Pyp and Grenn standing by the door.

I looked at Tyrion in disgust. "Everyone knew what this place was, and nobody told me about it. Nobody but you. My father knew, and left me to rot at the Wall all the same."

Tyrion looked at the men in sympathy. "Grenn's father left him too, outside a farmhouse when he was three."

I looked at Grenn, the blood on his face was drying to a deep red. _Not everyone grew up in a castle._

Tyrion continued, "And Pyp was caught stealing a wheel of cheese for his little sister who hadn't eaten in three days. He was given a choice, his right hand or the Wall. I've been asking the Lord Commander about them, fascinating stories."

I scowled, "They hate me because I'm better then they are."

"It's a lucky thing that they weren't trained by a master at arms like your Sir Roderick. I don't imagine any of them ever held a real sword before they came here." Tyrion interjected.

Before he turned to go, he pulled a piece of rolled parchment from his cloak. "Your brother Bran has woken up." He said. I stared at Tyrion in astonishment and grabbed the letter, tears forming in my eyes. _Bran has woken up._

 **Kiera**

I was in the middle of scrubbing kitchen pots when I heard footsteps running towards me.

I turned to see Jon, with a grand smile on his face. "Lady Kiera, Bran has woken up. He is going to live." He said excitedly.

I smiled, "That's wonderful Jon. I'm so happy for you." I hardly knew Jon's younger brother, but I felt relief for the boy nonetheless.

Without warning, he enveloped me in a bear hug that nearly crushed my windpipes. I found myself greatly enjoying the close proximity.

"Sorry" he muttered as he pulled away. I glanced around, praying that nobody saw us, but we were alone in the kitchen.

"It is alright. I'm glad you're happy. It looks good on you." I told him.

He smiled, "I must go to my uncle Benjen, and then I will return to practice with you."

I waved him away, "Go. You are disturbing my pot scrubbing session anyways." I said. He laughed and ran off.

* * *

Hours passed, and my muscles ached with great soreness that I had never experienced before. Jon had stopped going easy on me and was now attacking me with full force. Blocking his blows sent vibrations throughout my whole upper body. When Jon found me again, he was agitated. He told me that his uncle, Benjen Stark, was leaving with the rangers on an expedition- an expedition that excluded him. I felt his anger with every blow he delivered.

"You aren't giving me your best." Jon said as he came at me with another blow, which I narrowly blocked from my face.

I huffed in frustration, "I'm tired. And I don't actually want to fight you."

He lowered his sword. "Then we will stop for today. But you must remember that in a real fight, you would have to be completely focused."

I nodded and wiped the sweat off of my forehead. "What are we going to do now?" I asked.

"Do you want to see the top of the Wall?" he asked. I looked up, it was easy to forget that a gigantic ice wall towered above Castle Black.

"I don't think I've ever been on something that high." I muttered.

He laughed, "Come, I hope you aren't afraid of heights."

We passed Grenn on our way to the lift, whom had shot a glare at Jon.

"What is his issue?" I whispered to Jon. He narrowed his eyes, "We had an encounter in the armory earlier, not important."

"Why didn't you mention it before?" I said accusingly.

"Because it wasn't important." he said with annoyance. I shut my mouth, Benjen leaving had soured his mood.

We stood in silence as the lift took us up the Wall. It was a slow and painful ride, no rollercoaster could top the suspense I felt as the ground grew further and further away. The men at Castle Black looked like ants, then disappeared all together.

When we reached the top, Jon turned toward me awkwardly. "Forgive me, Lady Kiera. I should not be rude to you."

I patted his arm, "You're forgiven."

Jon lead me through the ice corridor until we came to an opening, where a torch lit the edge of the Wall. The sun was setting, giving the mountains in the distance a beautiful glow. The tips of the trees were touched by the sunlight. It was a view that could not be beaten.

"It's beautiful." I said, looking up at Jon. But his eyes were focused on the horizon, with a longing look that could only be about joining Benjen in the expedition.

I cautiously approached the edge of the overlook and looked down. There was no bottom, just darkness. I felt my legs tremble a bit, but I ignored it and lowered myself to the ground.

"Lady Kiera, what are you doing?" Jon asked when I swung my feet over the edge and let them dangle. The shaking in my limbs ceased.

I looked over my shoulder at him, "The only way to get over your fears is to face them." I patted the ground next to me, "Come try it for yourself."

He slowly lowered himself until his feet sat along the edge just as mine did.

"Bran would enjoy this." Jon said suddenly. "He loved to climb. Climbing is what got him into trouble, now he will never be able to do it again."

I looked at Jon's sad eyes, he really loved his siblings. Bran's accident was hard for him.

"Let this be for Bran then." I told him, grasping his hand.

He looked down at our hands, "What if you could go back?" he asked quietly.

His question took me by surprise, and I thought for a moment. "Going back would mean I get to see Kyle again, which I would like very much. But leaving here would mean never seeing you again, and leaving behind my 'destiny' or whatever you want to call it. I do not know if I would or would not."

His disappointment was apparent in his words, "If you had the choice, I hope you would stay. You have become...dear to me."

I smiled, "Thank you, Jon. I'm grateful you are here. I think I'd be lost if I ended up somewhere other than Winterfell. You and your family are so honorable and kind."

"You refer me as one of them, why?" he asked curiously.

"Because Ned is your father." I said simply.

"But I am a bastard."

I cringed at that word that he referred to himself as. "Jon." I began earnestly, "Where I come from, a lot of families have children from different parents. Look at mine, Kyle may not be my biological brother. Your world is too harsh, I do not think that just because you have a different mother than Robb, does not mean that you are not apart of the Stark family. I wish that you would see what I see."

"Sadly, this is my world, and I will never be a Stark in anyone's eyes. I will always be Jon Snow." he replied, staring off into the distance.

"Why should anyone's opinion of you matter? You are a Stark, Jon. You are honorable and good-hearted. I could care less about what any man says about your name. I wish there was some way to show you how I see you."

Jon stared at me with such intensity that it made my heart skip a beat. His eyes seemed darker than the night itself. Maybe it was the beauty of the scene, or the thinness of the air, but I found myself moving closer to Jon.

"Kiera." he whispered.

 _Kiera, Kiera, Kiera._ He called me Kiera. No formal title in front of it. A shiver flew up and down my spine, and it was not because of the frigid cold. Suddenly aware that I was sitting on a ledge that had a massive drop, and I carefully stood and pushed my hair away from my face. Jon stood as well, his eyes never leaving my own.

Of course, I had looked at Jon before. There was no denying his attractiveness, anyone who said otherwise would be foolish. In this world, Jon was the only man I really looked at. I felt emotions that I had never experienced before suddenly come bubbling to the surface. Part of me wanted it, and then part of me didn't, because it was wrong. But what can be so wrong about feeling attraction towards a man?

I took a step closer, but a tiny voice in my head echoed the word "friend". _Was Jon a friend?_ I could not decide. The proximity of our bodies felt electrifying and terrifying all at once. One move could change everything. But, we are at Castle Black, Jon will take his vows. We cannot be anything more than friends. And yet, our faces moved closer, noses touching and breaths mingling together. Jon's hand slowly moved to the small of my back, sending butterflies through my stomach.

 _Friends don't stand this close_.

I backed away from a red faced Jon. The air suddenly felt cold again, but the blush never left my cheeks.

 _Friends don't blush at each other._

By the grace of whatever being stood up in the sky, a voice broke the silence that was shared between us.

"I was looking for you two." Tyrion Lannister said. One look at his expression, and I automatically knew he had seen more than he should have.

Jon cleared his throat, "What is it?"

"I came to tell you that I take my leave in the morning. It's either me or this cold, which doesn't appear to be going anywhere." Tyrion replied.

A small fear pulled at the back of my mind, _would Tyrion tell the Lord Commander?_ I thought to myself.

"Well, I am sad to see you go then, Lannister." Jon said. Tyrion bowed his head.

"And I the same." I told him, the dwarf may be crude, but he did speak to Mormont on my behalf.

Tyrion took my hand and kissed it, "I hope we see each other again, Lady Kiera. You should visit King's Landing, it is a lot warmer than Castle Black."

I laughed, "Maybe I will someday."

"Until then." he replied, giving me a look I could not interpret.

When I was sure he was gone, I finally turned to Jon- who did not meet my gaze.

"Jon?" I asked tentatively. He said nothing, and walked past me as if I were nonexistent.

* * *

I stood on the edge, now completely alone.

Not a single man bothered me while I sat on the ledge for the next hour. It seemed as if nobody cared as to what I was doing. Everything was my fault, and I felt guilty for making Jon uncomfortable. I wanted to go see him, but what would I say? I wouldn't find the right words anyways.

I needed to talk to someone, so I stood and went to find maester Aemon.

He was in his study, as to be expected. I barely knocked before I entered. He sat at his table while a man read letters to him, upon my entrance, the man stopped and told the maester that he had company.

"Ah, Lady Kiera. Please sit." he greeted. He waved the man away as I took my seat.

"I hope I am not intruding." I began.

He shook his head, "I appreciate the company, what brings you here?"

"I just needed to talk to someone, with everything going on."

He nodded thoughtfully, "You slept well I presume?"

"Yes, I did not encounter Eddith."

"Good, I hope he does not visit you again."

I felt the uneasiness at the thought of being visited by Eddith again, but his diary was destroyed. He had no link to me anymore.

"What is next then?" I asked.

"You begin to train. I have old scripts about the Children, and from watching Eddith, I can help you." he replied.

Excitement pulsed through me. The thought of learning it all made me anxious, but also liberated, "Can we start now?"

Maester Aemon laughed, "It is all mental, Kiera. You must channel your powers yourself before we can begin. You are in control."

"So how do I do that?" I asked, _is there some initiation or ritual?_

"There is a prayer. It is written within the scripts. Tomorrow I will have them brought to you. The prayer must be said on the full moon, under a weirwood tree. When Eddith did this, he embraced all of his powers. He changed, mentally and physically." maester Aemon explained.

It all seemed too pretentious- the full moon, the weirwood tree, but I said nothing. I wondered what would happen to me, if I would change like Eddith. _Would Jon like it?_ I shook the thought away immediately.

"When is the next full moon?"

"A fortnight from today." he replied. I frowned and scraped my brain for the translation of the old english term- two weeks. In two weeks I could embrace my powers.

"I will have to read the scripts then, prepare myself." I said, but was I really prepared? Prepared to embrace my real self? It would only make the dream that is Westeros more real, more like home.

"That would be wise. Have you spoken to Jon?" he asked suddenly.

"No...well yes. We were at the Wall, then he left." I said, choosing my words wisely. _Wouldn't want to tell the maester that I was having romantic feelings for a recruit of the Night's Watch,_ I thought to myself.

Maester Aemon bore a knowing look on his face, "I believe you should go speak to him."

The realization hit me like a brick, "Did he speak with you today?" I asked.

He said nothing, which only confirmed my suspicion,

"What did he say?" I questioned again.

"He came to me an hour ago, very troubled. I could only imagine it was about you, so I told him the hall needed scrubbing, and off he went." he replied.

I sighed, I didn't want to face Jon just yet, but he was the only one besides maester Aemon who I felt safe with. "I guess I will go find him then." I muttered.

The maester waved as I headed out of his study, and I went in search to find Jon.

I found him bent over, scrubbing the tables. To add to the awkwardness of the situation, there was nobody else in the hall to be found.

"Jon?" I said quietly.

He dropped the rag and turned around, his face void of any emotion. "Yes, my Lady?" he asked mildly.

I cringed at the term. "I just wanted to apologize, for earlier." I replied.

He turned and picked up the rag, dunking it into the bucket. "There is nothing to apologize for my Lady, I was the one who started it." he said.

I shook my head, "No, it was my fault. Please do not blame yourself." I paused for a moment, "And please, don't call me "lady"."

He put the rag into the bucket and stared at me. "Tell me then, what is this?" he asked, gesturing between us.

I opened and closed my mouth, unsure of what to say, because I really did not know myself. What _is_ this? It had been weeks since I arrived to Westeros, and I had been with Jon since I first stepped into Winterfell. Was he just a good friend?

"I don't know." I sighed. Jon didn't hide the sadness in his eyes this time, and my heart ached with guilt.

"Figure it out" he said harshly, then added in a more softer tone, "please."

I looked up at him with all the earnesty I could muster, "Jon, I don't think I can right now. I was dropped into this world for some unknown reason, I am being haunted by some former psychopath Targaryen, maester Aemon tells me that I need to say this damn prayer to channel my powers, and you- I can't figure it out. Not right now." I said.

Jon looked both sympathetic and puzzled. "I am sorry-"

I put a finger to his lips. "Stop apologizing. I will figure it out. I just need some time, maybe an eternity. But I don't want things to be bad between us, because you are all I have and I do not want to lose your friendship."

He took my hand, and kissed my knuckle. I almost drew my hand away, but I found myself enjoying the feeling too much. It was not a casual gesture, it had a certain intimacy that crossed over the line of friendship.

"Then I will give you time." he said, letting go of my hand. He picked the bucket up and walked out of the hall, leaving me entirely speechless.

* * *

Hey guys, sorry for the absence. I'm exhausted but I'll write a quick AN of what's been up. To sum everything up, I was sick and hungover and very busy. Also, I will admit that binge watching Riverdale and The Crown on Netflix has distracted me from writing. BUT, season 7 is in a matter of DAYS. I am so excited, I wanted to watch all 6 seasons to refresh my mind but literally I have been so busy with work and life, I find myself having no time for anything. I hope ya'll had a good Fourth of July! I know I did :)

Anyways, please leave some feedback because those really motivate me to write!


	10. Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten: Passing Time

6/25/18

* * *

Deep in the mountains beyond the Wall, in the midst of snow and stone, sat an ancient king on his rugged throne. Caracases of the dead lay around him, from those who once reigned fire long before man walked the earth. His body was trapped in a casket of ice and rock- an eternal damnation placed upon him by the gods.

Whispers carried in the strong winds that blow towards the mountainside, whispers that contained the secrets of men that stretched from all regents of Westeros. The king listened to these secrets, and waited. He knew the time was approaching. The long winter had begun, and the fire had returned to Westeros. His reign would come again.

* * *

 _Lips slowly danced down my throat, leaving a chill where the warmth once resided. One hand was placed on my back, while the other explored the other areas of my body. I felt the chills run down my body in waves, and pulled him closer- needing every inch of his body to mold with my own._

 _A masculine voice grunted in my ear, "I want you, Kiera." he whispered. Removing his hand from my back, he pushed open the door behind me. My thoughts became muddled with an intense wave of desire, and I let him lead me to a nearby table- where he lowered my body and proceeded to tug at my shirt. It was dark, I could barely distinguish my surroundings._

" _Where are we?" I muttered, suddenly realizing the unfamiliar location we were in._

" _Shh, don't talk. Just feel." he whispered, a warm feeling entered my mind and I felt calm again. The relevancy of where we were seemed miniscule, only the thought of wanting Eddith filled my mind. "Good." I heard him say, as his lips came down onto my exposed chest. I had experienced desire before, but not as strong as this. The very thought of Eddith consumed my mind, every fiber of my being wanted to be with him. My breathing grew heavier as his mouth descended lower, and lower-_

The blaring sound of a horn filled my head, bringing my senses back to reality. I was covered in sweat, despite the chilling weather at Castle Black. The memories of the dream replayed continuously in my mind. _What the hell was that?_ Disgust filled my thoughts as I ripped the blanket from my body.

Weeks had passed, and not once was I plagued with any dream of Eddith, until now. The question if the dream was real or not burdened my thoughts as I dressed and headed for breakfast. I pushed it far into my mind, _he is not here. You are safe._

Upon my arrival at the hall, I spotted Sam- the newest recruit at Castle Black- waving furiously in my direction. Jon sat next to Sam, looking down at his meal in annoyance at his companion. I had only known Sam for a few weeks, but in that time we grew well-accustomed to each other. He was treated as an outcast and berated by his fellow men. Jon showed interest in him, and I immediately became fond of his vitality and kindness.

Across from the two, Pyp and Grenn sat, more acquaintances I had met in the previous weeks. I had fallen into a routine, mornings involved training in the yard with the men. My afternoons were spent with Jon and Sam, doing whatever work we were assigned, and then the evenings were reserved for maester Aemon, where we practiced meditations and the manifestation of my powers.

Progress had been terribly slow, I am not yet in full control of my body. The maester believes that I can push the magic outside of my body, and conjure it into a physical form. But, the furthest I've gotten was lighting a candle and turning the pages of a book. Each session drained my completely, no matter the length of intensity. In control or not, the merge would proceed either way in the approaching weeks, with the light of the full moon underneath the weirwood tree.

Training improved with each day. Most days, Alliser scowled and barked a thousand insults at both Jon and I. I took up archery along with sword fighting, both getting easier with the coming weeks. When Alliser was not watching my every move, Jon would train me privately.

Whatever feelings that were shared between the two of us had almost dissipated completely as Jon took up is duties as a man of the Night's Watch, not yet swearing the oath. He was committed to helping the recruits and following orders, no matter how intense his hatred for Alliser ran. We remained friendly, barely touching- only when necessary. Whispers constantly swarmed around the two of us through the other men, and each day it was growing more difficult to ignore them. When we could, I would join Jon at the top of the Wall as he continued his watch. We would quietly talk about the past, or my session with maester Aemon. The nights that I could spend with Jon were the nights I felt the happiest.

As I took my seat next to Jon in the hall, the men nodded at me in greeting, "Morning, Lady Kiera. Did you sleep well?" Sam asked merrily.

Pyp rolled his eyes, "You say that every morning, it's gettin' old."

Sam looked flabbergasted, "And what is so wrong with greeting the lady? Better than you two just sitting there lookin' all glum."

Pyp narrowed his eyes at Sam, but before he could respond, Jon kicked his chin from under the table, "Enough." he said gruffly.

"It's fine, really. And to answer your question Sam, I slept fine. I can barely move from yesterday, though."

"That's because you're slacking." Jon replied, eyeing me as he raised his glass of ale to his lips. I fought the urge to stick out my tongue at him, which would be incredibly childish considering the location we were in. Truthfully, I was exhausted from training, mentally and physically.

Each morning I felt more confident with a sword, and so Jon would train me harder. I could keep my own when I was pinned against another man, to Alliser's dismay. The work increased as the time for the men to say their vows grew closer.

"Alliser worked us all like dogs." Grenn muttered, Pyp made nodded in agreement, "Some of the men look like they are about to drop dead from all of the fighting he's been makin' us do," he added.

I faintly listened as the men continued on with their conversation, and watched turned my attention to the commander and the maester having an intense conversation at the front of the hall. Even with my improved hearing, I strained to make out the conversation.

"Another body's been found."

"Along with three mutated horses."

I frowned at the image and pushed away my bowl of corn meal. Jon noticed my disgust and nudged me, "Are you well?" he whispered.

"Mormont is talking about how another body has been discovered outside the wall, along with three mutated horses. What person would even do that?" I asked, chewing on my lip.

Jon stared off into the distance and shook his head, "I don't know. The wildlings outside the Wall are uncivilized. They do not share our customs and behaviors."

"How long has the Wall existed?" I inquired. During the weeks I had resided at Castle Black, I never had the opportunity to truly understand its history.

Sam turned away from his conversation with Pyp and glanced at me, "They say eight thousand years. It was constructed in the aftermath of the Long Night to keep out the white walkers."

"It is only a myth." Grenn said, nudging Pyp with his elbow and grinning.

Sam shrugged, his ears growing painfully red, "It's all very interesting, if you lot actually read then maybe you would find our history interesting as well."

Pyp and Grenn scowled at Sam, while Jon rubbed his forehead in agitation, "All of you act like children." he muttered.

I stood and patted his shoulder, "Don't be so prim, have a laugh. You're always looking so _glum._ "

Jon's eyes narrowed, "I am not _glum._ "

* * *

The day had passed rather slowly. Training in the yard was uneventful, I had managed to deliver a sufficient sidestroke against Grenn, and block most of his attacks. With each day, the burden of the sword's weight grew less prominent. I had noticed that my arms were becoming more toned, and I was not as plagued with fatigue as I once was.

But, as the weeks continued, Alliser's hate for Jon and I grew stronger. I was a female, an image of fragility in his eyes. That was what I was to most, a meek woman who has no place at Castle Black. Some nights, while Jon was at his watch, I would tell him my frustration. He would listen, with a dark and dangerous look that sent chills down my spine.

"If any of them lay a finger on you, I will kill them." he vowed. His expression held so much emotion and anger, that I knew this was no empty threat.

I had placed my hand on his arm, and gave him a reassuring smile, "If a man touched me, I would burn their hand off in a second."

He hadn't laughed at my response, only frowning and turning his attention back to the darkness of the woods that stretched beyond the wall.

The berating insults no longer had any effect on me, because I knew if it came down to it- I could take on Alliser despite his skill with a blade. Magic flowed in my veins, and every day I felt more confident than the day before. Jon, however, did not carry the same attitude I adorned.

Alliser was getting to him. The men were getting to him. He would rarely speak of it, but I knew that Jon was struggling to keep his wits at Castle Black. He loathed Alliser, no matter how well he trained, Alliser would tear him down.

A small tapping broke me out of my thoughts, "Concentrate Kiera, I can see that your mind is not completely present."

I looked up at the maester, his hand rested on an open book. His eyes, eyes that saw nothing but everything simultaneously. Even though he was blind, I could feel his penetrating gaze on me.

I murmured an apology and closed my eyes once more. "Good, clear your mind of any thought." he began, "Your powers are a manifestation of your will. I want you to light the candle."

This was always the beginning exercise, lighting the candle. A simple, yet deceiving task. Sometimes, the candle would have too much excess wax on it, and the flame would weaken. Or, the flame would only last a few seconds and then it would burn out- leaving the scent of smoke that would linger under my nose for the remainder of the evening.

Breathing in, I imagined warmth. Focusing on that single thought, I began to feel the slight tingle of heat. At first, it manifested in my head, then it flowed through my veins. My fingertips buzzed with energy, and so I moved onto the next step: creating the flame.

Hues of yellow and orange birthed themselves in my mind, with faint specks of blue and purple. The flame was there in my head, and so I thought of the candle- uniting the warmth in my body with the flame. Suddenly, my mind shifted to a different thought. Jon's hand entwined with my own, his hand running up my arm, touching my back, searching my face with his dark eyes- and suddenly my hands grew excessively warm. Too warm.

I sucked in a breath and imagined the candle again, and again, until I opened my eyes and saw the flame sitting in front of me. But that wasn't the only flame in the room. The fire in the back that had been dying out was rekindled to life. The candles on the mantel were glowing, and the lantern by the door was illuminated.

I had lit the entire room.

Across the old oak table, the maester had a small smile playing at his lips. "I think you are ready to move on to more advanced tasks." he said to me.

* * *

It was late. I did not go to Jon this time while he was on his watch. Instead, I sat in bed, watching the small flame that sat on the table blow back and forth. Maester Aemon had urged me to try moving the candle- without touching it. For hours I stared at the object, urging it to move. After many unsuccessful attempts, gravity had been deemed the victor, and our session ended.

The maester had told me to imagine a force pushing upon the candle, but it was almost impossible for me to do so. He theorized that I had some mental block that was prohibiting me from moving the candle, which seemed logical. The mental block was Jon.

I couldn't ignore the attraction, one would be foolish to do so. But, there were repercussions to this. Jon and the rest of the men are taking their vows in a matter of days. A vow that emcompasses men to sustain from being with a woman. The men at Castle Black held their suspicions about Jon and I, I heard their whispers and saw their glances. Jon could be killed for this. Nothing more than friendship could happen.

However, that did not stop me from looking. And thinking.

Jon was too honorable to break a vow. He was resembled Ned Stark all too well. _Ned._ I thought sadly. The man who opened his home to me, and was the sole reason I was allowed to stay here. I wished there was any news of his travels, but not a word was spoken about him or the other members of the Stark family. I knew this troubled Jon deeply. Even if he wasn't accepted as a Stark, his loyalty and love for them was fierce. Another quality that made me so fond of him.

I had barely had any relationship in my old life. There were hookups and short romances, but never once had I felt so connected to a person. Never once did I feel love for the men I had been with. I could never trust anyone with my secret. I had constantly been afraid of slipping up, and revealing myself by accident. There would be times where my powers would slip through, but I had always brushed it off with something of normality.

The small voice surfaced in my mind, _you feel connected to Jon._

As if the gods had planned it, a knock surfaced at my door. I wrapped myself in a cloak and padded over to the wooden door, opening it slowly. Jon stood, light snowflakes in his hair, surrounded in folds of black.

"I hope I did not just wake you." he said quietly.

I shook my head and smiled, "No, I was just thinking. The session was difficult today."

I opened the door wider and motioned for him to come in. Shaking the snowflakes out of his hair, he took a seat in the chair near the fire.

"So what brings you here?" I asked casually, noticing the strain on his face.

"I came here because the men are talking." he began, running a bruised hand down his face.

Although I knew the answer, I asked anyway. "About what?"

He gave me a hard look, but behind it there was sadness, "The two of us."

"They are like old women who gossip about nonsense."

"It is more than that, Kiera."

I closed my eyes for a moment and sighed, "I know." I whispered, looking at him.

He looked so distraught and unsure of himself. I wanted to reach out, to hold his hand. "I-I am swearing my vows in a matter of days. These rumors cannot continue. I will become a man of the Night's Watch. I cannot break my vows. I cannot-"

"Jon, I understand"

"No, Kiera." he began, frustration rising in his gaze, "you do not. You are not from here. You come from a place that does not have these customs, I know. I have lived in Winterfell my entire life. My father taught me that a man's honor and loyalty is his greatest asset. I need to prove that I can uphold my word, not only to my father, but myself. I told you that I would give you time, and I have thought about this for weeks. I need to do what is right."

Shocked by his outburst, I was silent for a moment. Unwilling to look him in the eye, I stared down at my hands, "I'm sorry."

Jon shook his head, "No. I apologize. I acted like a boy when I needed to be a man."

"You are not a boy, Jon." I said, standing up. I walked over to where he sat and grasped his hands, he tried to pull away but I gripped them tighter. The warmth began to rise in my body, and I forced myself to contain it as I looked him in the eye, "You are a good man, a man who is loyal and honorable. You have so much strength in you. I admire you so much, truthfully. You are my first friend here. I don't want to lose you, because without you I think I might just lose my sanity all together. I want to say that I agree with you, that this should end. But I don't want it to."

I felt the tears pricking in my eyes at my sudden outburst of emotion. Every word held the absolute truth. I cared about Jon, he was my confidante. Jon stared at me with heated cheeks and somber eyes.

"Do not cry." he whispered. He slipped his hands from my grasp and raised them to my cheeks, wiping the quiet tears that began to flow. He pulled me into his arms and rested his chin on the top of my head. I took a deep breath, in order to steady myself, but a hiccup surfaced instead.

My mind was racing, the smell of him was overwhelming, and the heat in my body was threatening to explode. And so I pulled away, I let my hand brush away the curls from his face. He closed his eyes, and I continued to explore his features. I ran my hand down his icy cheek, through the unkempt stubble and down his chest- where I rested my hand above his heart. Breathing in, I let the warmth surface in my hand and flow through his chest.

He shuddered at first, but then leaned into it and rested his forehead against my own. Our breaths mingled together in the close proximity. The desire was there, to lean closer and connect his lips with my own. That was forbidden, and that alone made it all the more painful.

I let the warmth flow through his body, and after a few minutes, he did not feel cold anymore. My tears were gone, and so was the chill. A strange tranquility settled into the room. I remained in Jon's embrace for a few moments, until he spoke quietly.

"I should return to my chambers."

I closed my eyes and nodded, letting him pull away. The warmth faded and winter's icy breath filled the room once more. Before he could walk to the door, he turned and softly kissed my forehead. Without another word, he turned and left the room.

I did not go to sleep that night.

* * *

Ah, hello everyone. It has been a hot minute. I wrote four chapters sometime in 2017, but sadly I lost them and could never recover the file. Since then, I was busy with college and work. Life really snatched me this year. I stepped away from this again, but honestly I have found a new motivation and have so many things planned. I want to continue, this is something I will finish. Each time I got an email saying someone favorited and followed this, it was a little push to get me to continue writing. So here I am! I am enjoying every bit of it and look forward to seeing you all in the next chapter. Things will pick up in the following chapters...I promise. :)


	11. Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven: Promises

6/27/18

* * *

" _What are you doing up this late?" I asked Kyle as he walked into the kitchen, with tangled hair and an unshaven face. The clock on the oven read one-thirty in the morning, I had been up working on an essay for college._

" _I had a bad nightmare about our parents." he said quietly, dragging himself to the fridge._

 _The kitchen we had was tiny and outdated, the only positive aspect about it was the giant bay window that I sat at almost every night to read- or to practice a meditation. There was something tranquil about looking down at the lights of Miami, and faintly hearing the pulsing music that was coming from whatever party was being held._

 _I gave him a reassuring smile, "I'm sorry. Want to take something that'll help you sleep?" I asked tentatively, he looked exhausted._

" _I'll never stop searching for the bastard that murdered them." he whispered, anger overshadowing his face._

" _Justice will come to him one day." I replied, but Kyle just shook his head._

" _I remember, the clothing, the dagger, it was all so bizzare. It was like he wasn't from here. I don't understand. Authorities found no trace of footprints, no record of this man even existing."_

 _Sighing, I stood up and walked over to Kyle. I grasped his shoulders, forcing him to look at me, "We will find him, and we will kill him. I promise."_

 _Nodding slowly, Kyle turned and slouched back to his room. I returned to the window and leaned my head up against the glass, staring down at the street below. A couple returning from a night out walked hand and hand, a car spewing hip hop thumbed down the road, and a late night jogger rounded the corner with a flashing armband- it all seemed so mundane and ordinary. Kyle and I were far from normal, our situation was exotic, and yet life around us existed without fail._

 _I wished I had a different life._

 _xXx_

It was a bit before dawn as I sat on top of the wall, feet dangling down the icy blockade. The sun had not yet risen, but I had a feeling that the weather would be forgiving.

Today was the day that the trainees became men of the Night's Watch. Jon had patiently explained to me the process, how he would take his vows under a weirwood tree. He seemed so excited, eager to become a ranger like his uncle. I knew they would assign him as one, he was the best fighter there.

To me, it was bittersweet. There were no late night visits, no longing glances or lingering touches. It was strictly formal. _Too formal._ Jon had seemingly moved on with everything, disregarding our standing and immersing himself into his duties as a soon-to-be man of the Night's Watch.

Nonetheless, I was elated for Jon.

I watched as the sun began to creep over the tall trees. The forest beyond the Wall was deemed as haunted, from atop it looked like everything but that. The sunlight kissed the treetops as tiny specs of birds flew across the perimeter. The wind was crisp, but welcoming. Few clouds hung in the sky. It was almost if the earth knew the events that were transpiring today.

xXx

It was about noon when a red-faced Jon entered the dining hall. I looked up from my work of cutting meat and watched as he slammed his fist on one of the tables.

"Jon?" I asked worriedly, abandoning the pile of flesh and rushing over to him.

"A _steward_." he growled, "I have been assigned to the _stewards_."

Suddenly, a huffing Sam entered the hall. He gave me a worried look, and reached to grasp Jon's shoulder.

"Don't you see what Commander Mormont is doing, Jon?" he said.

Jon scowled, "I am a better swordsman and rider than all of the men here. I am not a going to change bedsheets and cook Commander Mormont's meals for the rest of my bloody life."

Sam looked taken back by Jon's outburst, _hell I was too._ "It's Commander Mormont, Jon. You will be with him day and night. Yes you will make sure his bed linen is fresh and his meals are cooked, but you will take his letters, attend him at meetings, you will know everything and be apart of everything."

Jon looked like he was about to interject, but Sam was too passionate to notice, "When I was young, my father made me attend with him in court, when he bent the knee to the Tyrells, I was present. Until Dickon came along, in which he took him instead. He wanted his _heir_ by his side, don't you understand? He is grooming you for command."

"That does sound logical, Jon. You are an excellent swordsman. If you are going to be with Commander Mormont, wouldn't you think that it meant something significant? Sam is right." I urged him. Jon looked at Sam and I and sighed, rubbing a gloved hand through his hair.

"You are right of it. I am sorry for acting like a child." he muttered.

Sam smiled at him, "Does this mean you will take up your vows then?"

Jon glanced at me, and nodded to Sam. "The old gods will be expecting us."

After Sam departed, eager to seek out maester Aemon, Jon stayed with me in the kitchen. Together, we quietly worked to prepare tonight's meals.

"Since I will become a steward, I'll be living under the Commander's tower. Closer to you." he said after minutes of quiet work.

I smiled, "That's good, I can annoy you with ease now."

He chuckled and wiped his blade with a cloth, setting it aside. "Will you come tonight?" he asked shyly, looking at me with expectant eyes.

I paused for a moment, "Am I allowed?"

Jon was not quite sure, and shrugged. "I don't see why you wouldn't be."

"Then, yes. I will come. Though, my horse riding skills are pitiful."

"You will ride with me." he said in a nonchalant tone, but I watched as a small smile crept up on his face. "Just don't burn me."

I narrowed my eyes and slapped his leg with the dish cloth. "Say it again and it might happen." I teased.

He laughed, a deep and throaty sound that I rarely heard. Grabbing his cloth, he lightly smacked my arm. Unable to contain myself, I laughed as well. Suddenly we both were ensnared in a battle of giggles as the meal preparations continued. Only when others arrived did our laughter stop.

Walking back to my chamber, Jon seemed brighter, as if the burdens he carried had ceased to exist. As we arrived at the door, he turned to me and smiled.

"Thank you, for making me laugh." he said earnestly.

I returned his smile as I opened the door, "You're welcome. You needed a little cheering up."

Heading inside, I noticed that Jon remained in the doorway, looking unsure of himself. It was like the air in the room suddenly shifted. He shut the door behind him as he entered, gazing at me with a hidden intention I found myself guessing at.

"Kiera." he began, closing his eyes.

I stepped closer, looking up at him. "Yes?" I asked softly.

He stared down at me with heavy eyes. Eyes that I found myself getting lost in because they seemed to stretch on for infinity. "Before I leave, and swear my vows-"

"Jon." I whispered, knowing what he meant. Taking another step closer, our bodies almost touched. The warmth in my hands began to surface again. Nothing mattered anymore. We were not in Westeros, confined to Castle Black and ancient vows. We were two individuals sharing the same air, wanting the same thing. And so, without a single word, I gently grabbed Jon's face and brought his lips down to my own.

I let his arms snake around me in the most welcoming embrace. We danced together, flesh against flesh.

It was ironic how differently I had envisioned the kiss to go. Instead of on top of the wall, or under the forest trees, we were here. In my darkened and damp chambers, hours before Jon swore his vows, not truly understanding what we were doing or the repercussions.

The kiss was slow, and clumsy. I haven't kissed anyone in a long while, and neither had Jon. The experience was as new as a child entering the world. But that did not matter. The heat was sorching my body, as Jon moved his mouth to my jaw, then my neck. I leaned away to let him explore, while I traced my hand at the back of his neck, entwining the tiny black curls with my pointer finger.

We did not speak, I let out a small gasp of air when Jon ripped at my cloak. He continued kissing and biting at my neck, but this time it was not soft- he was desperate. Our mouths met again in what was a dance of passion. It was my turn to be in control as I pushed him against the wall, the black cloak tumbling at his feet. I ran my tongue along his lower lip, earning a deep moan from the back of his throat-

"Kiera?"

I felt myself being shaken awake, opening my eyes groggily, I found myself staring at the man who had just plagued my dreams. _The universe is a cruel thing._

"Jon?" I croaked, wiping my eyes and slowly sitting up.

He stood over me, looming with uncertainty as if I were to tumble over at any second. "I came to retrieve you, we are leaving to take our vows. It is almost dusk, and you feel like you are on fire."

 _I was._ I thought morbidly. I had come back to my chambers after Jon and I finished preparing the food, and ended up dozing off. The dream felt painfully real, so real that the skin on my neck tingled with scorching heat.

"Give me a moment." I muttered as I stood and fastened my cloak. Glancing at myself in the mirror, I noticed how red my cheeks were. I scowled at my knotted hair and desperately attempted to braid it into a half-up-down hairstyle. Grabbing my gloves and Ned's dagger, I turned to an expectant Jon, who had no idea what had just occurred in my mind.

"You left your door unlocked as well, please remember to lock it." he added kindly.

 _Always so damn caring._

"I will, thank you."

Together we walked to the icy and narrow tunnel where Sam waited with the horses. Enormous bars separated the outside world beyond the wall, and the rest of Westeros. Ghost trotted obediently between Jon and I, occasionally licking my hand.

"It's interesting." I said quietly.

Jon glanced at me with an inquiring eye, "What is?"

I pointed to the bars, "The only thing that separates whatever lies beyond the Wall, and Westeros- is this gate. It is mad if you think about it."

Jon smiled a bit, "It would appear so. I don't think anything could get past these gates."

I hoped he was right.

Relief washed over me as we entered back into the fresh air of the outside. The forest I saw this morning appeared very different on the ground. A chill passed down my spine at the ominous shadows that fell onto the trees. As if he could read my thoughts, Jon grabbed my arm- pulling my body closer to his.

I watched as Sam shifted his weight nervously from foot to foot. "The wildlings," he squeaked, "they wouldn't come this close to the Wall, right?"

Jon shook his head, "They have not before." Mounting his horse, he extended his hand to me. I grasped it and he pulled my body up. I lightly took hold of the folds on his cloak.

The air in the woods felt different. Trees creaked and casted distorted shadows on the forest floor. Leaves rustled under the hard crunch of fallen snow as the horse's hooves pounded into the ground. Maybe it was the haunting fact that we were beyond the Wall, which was the final stretch of civilization before entering the realm of oblivion.

As we traveled deeper into the forest, I could not help but feel as if we were descending into the heart of darkness itself. I felt as if I was being watched by some unknown presence. I swiftly turned around and surveyed the area, but there was nothing. Wildlife was scarce, and our horse rode at the back of the party while a man by the name of Bowen Marsh lead the way.

"What is wrong?" Jon asked me quietly.

"I feel like I am being watched." I whispered back, another chill ran down my spine.

"You have listened to Pyp and Grenn far too much, nothing is watching you. Do not worry." he replied lightly.

I sighed and tried to shake it off, but the feeling remained in the back of my mind for the remainder of the trip. As we were nearing the weirwoods, a quiet voice broke me out of my thoughts.

" _Kiera."_

Once again, I turned around. This time, however, there was a face in the trees. It was distorted, I could not decipher its gender- but the eyes were a blue haze that seemed to pierce my soul. A silent scream boiled in my throat, and my grip tightened on Jon. "Jon, I see something." I whispered quickly. He whipped his head around with a hand reaching for his sword, "Where?"

I pointed in the direction of the face, still silently watching. "There."

Jon frowned, "I don't see anything."

"It's there, between the trees."

He shook his head, "Kiera there is nothing."

The face was there, as Jon insisted that there was no face in the woods, it began to smile. The corners of it's deranged mouth turned up in a half-smirk. It felt as if my heart was in my throat.

"Jon, it's there. Its smiling at me."

The others ahead seemed to be oblivious to what was transpiring, unaware that some creature lay in the forest.

"I am afraid I see nothing."

The figure stared at me one more time, its head tilted to the side- studying me. After a pregnant silence, the creature turned and vanished. Tears pricked in my eyes as my heartbeat lowered to a normal pace.

"I know you couldn't see it, but I did. I'm not lying, Jon. It had a mangled face and blue eyes." I whispered, grasping on the folds of his cloak.

From the side of his face, I watched his eyes slightly widen. "Why is it that it only appeared to you?" he questioned.

"I don't know, should we tell the others?"

He was silent for a second, brows furrowed in thought. "No. The men already have their speculations about you. Whatever it was, it has disappeared. I pray it will not return."

We reached the circle of the weirwood trees just as the sun began to set in the sky. Nine in total sat in a small clearing, adorned with blood red leaves and pale trunks. It was a beautiful sight, something I had never encountered back home. Those kind of trees did not exist in my world.

"Weirwood trees are rare. To have nine all together is unheard of." Jon whispered in my ear as he lowered me down from the horse. I admired the stark contrast of red and white against the other forest trees.

Bowen Marsh commanded that the horses are to be left outside of the circle, so that they would not defile the sacred space. Jon gave me a final glance before he knelt beside Sam, and I smiled at him. This was his moment, and I could not be more proud.

The sun disappeared beneath the distant mountains, and the men began their vows.

 _Night gathers, and now my watch begins._

Their voices filled the dark space, it seemed calm amidst despite the eerie location.

 _It shall not end until my death._

 _I shall take no wife, hold no lands, father no children._

 _I shall wear no crowns and win no glory._

 _I shall live and die at my post._

 _I am the sword in the darkness._

 _I am the watcher on the walls._

 _I am the fire that burns against the cold, the light that brings the dawn, the horn that wakes the sleepers, the shield that guards the realms of men._

 _I pledge my life and honor to the Night's Watch, for this night and all the nights to come._

Something inside of me stirred as the final words were spoken into the silent night. It was a finalization of the fact that nothing could ever transpire between Jon and I. It stung.

Jon and Sam stood up, now anointed men of the Night's Watch. Of course, this kind of custom did not exist in my old world, but there was something powerful about it that intrigued me. I was never a religious woman, and in Westeros, many gods were worshipped in different ways.

Before I could congratulate Sam and Jon, Ghost burst through the trees carrying something unidentifiable.

"What's he got in his mouth?" someone had asked. As Jon called Ghost over to him, in his mouth was a _hand._ A human hand.

* * *

The next day, the corpses were discovered and identified as the rangers from Benjen Stark's party. Jon had whispered me the news when they had returned from the woods around noon. His face gave away his emotions, I knew he was worried about his uncle. _I would be as well._

The dead men were not the average corpse. They had no smell, pale faces, and blue eyes. Everything about it seemed hauntingly similar to the face I saw in the woods. I had sat down with maester Aemon and told him everything.

"There are things beyond the Wall. Things that defy the balance of nature. What troubles me is that the creature only appeared to you." He had said to me.

I rubbed my eyes with my glove, I had been up all night because of it. "So, I am being haunted?" I asked with annoyance, I wanted answers as to what was in the damn woods.

The maester frowned at my tone, but continued on. "I cannot say. I will remind you, Lady Black, that this is a new experience for me as well. I can teach you the basis of your magic, and spout the history of the moon children until your ears bleed, but I cannot answer this. I pray to the gods that whatever was in those woods will not visit you again."

"I am sorry for my harshness. I'm just angry at everything, that is all." I had said quietly, feeling like I was being scolded.

Maester Aemon waved his hand, "It is nothing. I want you to rest now, tomorrow we will practice. Do not come this evening, I will be occupied with the corpses."

I nodded and stood to leave, "I will, but what do you think happened to them?"

"I believe that there are things in the night that are beyond our knowledge."

 _He was being too vague_ , I thought quietly. As I left the maester's tower, I noticed that people were whispering, more than usual. I closed my eyes and tried to focus on the multiple conversations happening in the yard.

" _Marked a traitor by the crown. Gods know what will be in store for him."_

" _The bastard hasn't heard the news yet."_

" _Ned Stark will hang."_

" _The King is dead."_

Shock filled my system, _Ned Stark is marked as a traitor? And Jon does not know._

"Oh god." I muttered, running off in search of Jon. I had no knowledge of the King or what this meant for everyone, I only knew bits and pieces of history. Robert Baratheon was a close friend of Ned, who was to be named the hand of the King. I knew that his son Joffrey was a complete ass, and his mother-Cersei Lanister- was not found of the Starks.

I found Jon angrily chopping meat in the kitchens. Upon my entry the men in the hall grew quiet, looking at me with judgemental stares.

He did not see me at first, until I touched his shoulder. "Jon?" I asked quietly. He ignored my presence entirely, staring at the dagger in his hands. Pyp and Grenn gave me sympathetic looks. Everyone knew, and all of the whispers and lingering looks were pinned on Jon. It made me angry.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Alliser approaching with a cruel gleam in his eye. "Not only a bastard, but a _traitor's_ bastard."

It was if it all happened in the flash of a light. Jon had pushed me out of the way, grabbing his dagger. He lunged at Alliser, dagger held high. Pyp, Grenn, Sam, and I all grabbed him. Jon resisted, so I sucked in a ragged breath and squeezed his arm, letting the heat burn into his arm.

Jon let out a small gasp and stared at me with wide eyes, and turned his attention to Alliser.

"Blood will always tell," he sneered, "you will hang for this."

Anger pulsed through my veins, the heat was unstoppable now. "No." I growled at Alliser, "you provoked him. Maybe you should be the one to hang."

Alliser grabbed my wrist, "I don't care what Maester Aemon says about you, girl. You have no place here, and now that Lord Stark has been marked as a traitor- I can throw you out of Castle Black within the night. If you think you will get away with being the bastard's _whore-_ "

Jon made another lunge for Alliser, but I was too quick. In a moment, I took Alliser's wrist and twisted it, letting the heat burn his muscle like Jon's-but much worse. He screamed in pain and went to grab his dagger until-

"ENOUGH." Commander Mormont boomed. He marched over to where we stood and grabbed Alliser's collar.

"Leave, I will handle this." he said coldly.

He glanced at Jon and I, breathing heavily with an irate look in his eyes. The men in the hall retreated away from the scene, afraid of the Old Bear's wrath.

"I told you not to do anything stupid." he growled at Jon, and then turned to me. "And you," he lowered his voice, "I know what you are. I know what you can do. You are allowed to stay here because the maester insists upon it. What you did could get you hanged."

He stepped away from me, "You are both confined to quarters. _Go._ "

Together, we walked in silence to our rooms. My room came before Jon's, and he just stared at me with the saddest look in his eyes before we parted.

"I'm sorry about your arm." I whispered.

"It is fine." he said softly, "I will see you tomorrow."

He continued on, boots crunching under the fallen snow. His head hung low, and I knew then how crushed he was feeling. There was nothing I could do about it.

xXx

For hours, I sat on my bed staring at one of maester Aemon's books that he had lended to me. In the time that had passed, I managed to lift the book and set it down. My next goal was to throw it, but my mind felt mentally exhausted. I could hear the guards shuffling outside my door, so it would be unwise for me to sneak out and find Jon- who I could only imagine would be a mess at the moment.

In the old world, we had tried to identify what I could do and what I couldn't. Kyle claimed I was telepathic, but could not read minds. I had heightened abilities at times, but those were always out of my control. My hearing fades away at times, or a burst of strength will appear. There was no predicting when I would explode. Of course, that's how I died. I exploded. That's what I was, a ticking bomb waiting to explode again.

Like with Alliser, I smashed and burned his wrist out of anger. I could conjure heat when my emotions are high, but it was difficult when they were not. And now apparently, I am seeing bloody ghosts.

I clenched my hands together and screamed in my mind for the book to move, and when it did, I imagined it flying into the wall. The book slammed into the stone and splattered on the floor, a few pages coming loose.

I collapsed on the bed and closed my eyes with satisfaction.

Until I heard a scream.

* * *

Another chapter so soon, who am I? I hope everyone is enjoying, I sure am. Don't worry, I will update another chapter soon this week and not leave this cliffhanger for ten months. Please drop a review, good or bad! It really means a lot, and thank you to those who have reviewed :) I see you girl.


	12. Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve: The Long Night; Part 1

07/8/18

xXx

 _Fear_. It raced through my blood and sent goosebumps running along my spine as I ran to the Lord Commander's tower. _Something was wrong._

I passed Jon's quarters along the way, noticing that his door had been left wide open. Prints of a man and a wolf led the path to Commander Mormont's chamber, where I could hear scuffling.

As I entered the pitch black chamber, I held back a scream at the sight in front of me.

Ghost and the dead man from Benjen Stark's party were fighting on the ground. Teeth sunk into rotten flesh as the wolf tried to break free from the man's grasp. I saw Jon's figure launching himself at the thing with his sword, bringing it down into the man's flesh.

"JON!" I screamed, rushing towards him as the man held him in a choking position.

There was no time to be afraid, or for Jon to reply as I threw myself onto the creature. I let the fire burn from my hands to his neck. It was enough to distract him. Releasing Jon, the man turned to me, with eyes that were frosted with ice, and lunged. I dodged his attack and drew Ned's dagger, throwing it into his chest.

But this was not enough. The man withdrew the dagger and tossed it to the ground. The smell of his flesh was repulsive as he hurled himself into me, clawing his fingers into my wrists. Ghost snarled and lunged- digging his claws and teeth into the man's back. He ripped away what he could while I freed myself from his grasp.

As Ghost tore into the living corpse, I rushed over to Jon, pulling him up. "The sword, get the sword." he rasped. I quickly grabbed Longclaw and tossed it to Jon, who sliced an arm off of the thing.

Suddenly, Commander Mormont appeared, groggy from sleep and holding a lantern in his hands. In a matter of seconds, Jon grabbed the lantern with his bare hand and threw it at the man. The corpse screamed as the fire engulfed the flesh, before it was completely destroyed, it raised its remaining limb and pointed to me.

The eyes lingered on mine as the fire burned through its face.

There was a pregnant silence before Mormont's voice broke the silence, "By Gods" he whispered. He ran a hand down his face, eyes wide with surprise.

I looked at Jon, who was bent over- clutching his hand. "I heard something, my Lord. When I came to investigate, your chamber door had been opened and that _wight_ was clawing at your door. It was trying to kill you." he rasped, his face was contorted with both pain and fear.

Commander Mormont stared at Jon and I for a long while and sighed, "We will burn the remains with the others at dawn. Lady Black, awake maester Aemon. Snow's hand must be attended to."

I nodded, grabbing my dagger as Jon and I walked out of the commander's chambers.

"Kiera-"

"Shh, we need to get your hand fixed up, then we'll talk." I whispered, giving his working hand a reassuring squeeze.

Xxx

A few hours later, Jon sat on his bed, head leaning back against the stone with closed eyes. Sweat lined his brow from the pain of his burn. He had removed his outer clothing, and now only sat in a black tunic and trousers. In any other circumstance, this would have been deemed as wildly inappropriate- but tonight those boundaries did not exist.

Maester Aemon had given Jon milk of the poppie, which did little to aid his burn. I sat in the chair beside his bed, unable to do anything as I watched Jon writhe in pain. There was no other remedy, except plunging the hand in snow to relieve the pain. The reality that modern medicine was nonexistent in this world worried me immensely. _Dying is easy here._

"Do you want me to change the silk?" I asked quietly. The blisters were beginning to burst, causing small stains on the cloth.

"No." he snapped, then he closed his eyes and sighed. "I am sorry, my hand feels as if it is being burned a thousand times over."

"Don't apologize, it is all right. You are the hero afterall." I said, smiling at him.

"I am no hero." he muttered, shifting to lay down on the cot. Ghost whined from the ground below at Jon's distress.

"Of course you are, you saved Commander Mormont and killed the wight. Allow yourself to feel heroic, Jon."

"You are always so kind," Jon replied, giving me a grateful look. "Thank you."

I waved my hand, "I will always tell you what you deserve to hear, for as long as you live."

Jon suddenly looked worried, "Where will you go? You certainly could not remain here forever." he said nervously.

The question stumped me, _where would I go?_ I did not know any other home than the place where I resided now. I had no knowledge of the other realms of Westeros, and certainly lacked the wits to survive as a woman alone. From what I have heard, it is dangerous to be alone.

"I-I don't know, back to Winterfell? What would I do for the rest of my life?"

Maester Aemon had promised that one day, when he felt I was "ready", I would take up a vow of my own beyond the Wall. He insisted that the gods brought me to Westeros because of the long winter, as if I was to be used as a weapon for an oncoming battle.

Ever since Sam had explained to me what the White Walkers were, I had read the old books from the maester's library. Everyone promises that it is all myth, but something feels wrong. The wight had come to kill Commander Mormont, and I saw a face in the woods. All the superstitious "winter is coming" whispers had begun to unnerve me.

I now looked at Jon, who appeared lost in his thoughts. "You would serve in the castle, and you could possibly marry a wealthy man, make a life for yourself in the south."

"I would not want to marry a man." I muttered, the heat crawling up my cheeks. I could not bear to think about being with a man, the only man I wished to remain with was right in front of me- yet he was equally as far away as the future he prescribed for me.

"And I would not want you to." Jon whispered in such a small voice, I could hardly hear the words.

I felt my heartbeat quicken as I looked at Jon, lying on the bed, his chest glistening under the candlelight. The dark curls cast a shadow over his face, hiding whatever emotion displayed in his gaze. It was strange thing, to manifest feelings for someone who you had not known for long. Quite honestly, I had lost track of the days since arriving here. Months had gone by, or at least that is what it felt like.

I took a long breath to steady my voice before I spoke. "There is no other person I could trust with the knowledge of who I am, I would be welcome at Winterfell- but would I want to stay there? And never see you? No, Jon. That is not the life I want, for as long as I am in this world I will want to be with _you."_

I felt the tears pool in my eyes as the emotion flowed through me, "Who knows, maybe the gods or whoever sits up there will drag me back to where I came from."

In an instant, Jon had sat up from his bed and dragged me from the chair. He pulled his arms around me, and I noticed they were shaking slightly. Careful to not hurt his hand, I slowly wrapped my arms around his warm torso.

"I will not let anyone take you away." Jon promised me, though the voice in the back of my head could not find comfort in his words. It was so easy to take me away, just as I was ripped from my old life and thrusted into this new one. My fate was out of my control the minute I was brought to Westeros.

Weeks had passed, but I felt as if time was already running short. The dark feeling that had been brewing in my heart grew more intense with each passing day. It felt as if my life was a race, I _had_ to learn to wield my power, because something is coming.

The future was frightening. I had no plan, no knowledge of how long I had on this earth. But I did know that the man in front of me was the man that I wanted. It was dishonorable, but it felt right. Maybe I was being too selfish with Jon, after all, he did swear a vow to the Night's Watch. _You cannot choose who you love._ I pulled back from Jon's embrace and stared at him, his brows were drawn in a deep frown as he studied me back.

So many emotions were reflected in his eyes, many that matched my own. We were both uncertain, yet we both knew exactly what we wanted. It was almost paradoxical.

And so, I took a breath. I drew my right hand to his face, tracing the lines of his jaw with my finger. The facial hair gently scratched my fingertips as I brought my hand to Jon's curls. Leaning in, I pressed my lips against his.

He did not respond at first, Jon was frozen in his seat. After a moment, his lips fully connected with my own, and a hand shifted to my lower back. My legs moved to straddle his body as the kiss grew intensified. The heat rising from my body caused us both to shiver, Jon letting out a soft groan that prompted me to kiss him harder.

The weight of our bodies caused us to collapse onto the bed, me on top of Jon as I traced my lips down his jaw, and then his neck. His skin felt like a burning flame against the cold winter that engulfed us.

Everything felt so good, yet so _wrong._ What would be the repercussions of this? Jon would regret it, and so would I. Our relationship could potentially be ruined, all because we both were consumed with desire. Although, Jon showed no signs of guilt as he flipped me onto the bed, and began to unbutton my shirt, running hot kisses down my chest.

Suddenly, it was as if a light was switched on. Jon was up in an instant, breathing heavily with wide eyes. "We cannot continue." he whispered, regret overtaking his features.

I slowly sat up, clutching the tunic to my chest, as my breasts were almost fully exposed. Jon had noticed this as well, and quickly averted his glance with reddened cheeks.

"Why can't we?" I asked. I knew the answer of course, but what was so _wrong_ about being with a woman?

Jon ran his left hand through his dark curls and sighed, "I have already broken the vow. I cannot lie with you Kiera. It is not honorable, this was a mistake. Gods forgive me."

Disappointment flooded through me as Jon stood and motioned for me to leave, barely glancing in my direction.

I stood and let my hand reach for his face, "Jon, please." I whispered, forcing him to look at me. I knew it was selfish, but I did not care.

"Why are you doing this? Why torture me?" he asked, searching my eyes.

There was no logical answer I could provide, "I- I don't know. I feel something for you, Jon. I know you took a vow, but what is so wrong about this? Does this feel wrong?" I whispered, tracing my fingers through his hair. He sighed and closed his eyes.

I slid my finger tips down his neck, and placed my hand on his chest. "Or does this?"

"No." he said hoarsely.

"You are a good man, and I say this with complete certainty. You are not like the other men here, they have done worse things than just being with a woman."

"Kiera-"

"I love you." I whispered, not quite realizing the magnitude of the words I just spoke.

Jon stared at me, shock registered on his face.

I swallowed, knowing that this was the moment that everything was leading up to. "I do. Ever since I met you, I knew that there was some connection between us. I would not let myself believe it, convincing myself that we were merely just two friends. But, Jon- I can't pretend anymore. I want you, physically and emotionally. Whatever time I have left in this world, I do not want to spend it dancing around you, pretending that I feel nothing."

There were tears in his eyes, his defeat was clear in his expression. "Kiera, I _love_ you. Of course I love you, but I cannot be with you. I cannot live a life of dishonesty, I cannot take the risk of fathering a child. You may have come from a different world, but this is mine. I have to let you go, please understand."

The weight of it all was too much to bear, so I sucked in a breath to restrain from crying. It was the greatest torture, to know that you are loved ,to know that the love is unattainable.

I fastened my cloak and gathered my things, without a word I walked out of Jon's chambers. Whatever tears I shed as I walked to my own room were frozen by the cold of the night.

xXx

Yes I plan on updating the other half of this chapter in the next day or so and yes I know it is incredibly short, I am tired and sick :( My computer finally was laid to rest a week ago, and I bought my Macbook recently. Don't hate me I promise it will get better...ish.


	13. Chapter Twelve

The Long Night; Part II

07/16/18

xXx

 _It was the following day after my encounter with Eddith. I had woken up in my bed with little memory of the events that occured the previous night. It was as if my memory had been erased. I remembered kissing Eddith, it had felt good, but there was a nagging uneasiness in my stomach when I thought of that man._

 _A knock at the apartment door stirred me from my room, as I went to open it- a small voice in the back of my mind questioned if it could be Eddith behind that door. I slowly put my face up against the wood and looked in to the peephole._

 _Relief flooded over me as I realized it was not Eddith, but my friend- Isabella. I quickly opened the door and smiled at her. "Hey Bella!" I greeted, Bella had been my friend since high school, and we worked together. However, I never told her about my powers or Eddith. That was my secret._

 _She smiled and hugged me, "I've missed you, chica. You haven't been working as much at the bar."_

 _I shrugged it off as being overloaded with college, but truthfully, I was finding difficulty in controlling my magic. A few days ago, I accidentally set my plate on fire while getting into a fight with Kyle. I could not trust myself in the real world until I got everything under control._

 _I had decided to tell her about Eddith, only mentioning that he was a man I had met at a bar, and how we were intimate. "If he doesn't leave you alone, file a police report." she said, "Don't let any man make you feel uncomfortable."_

 _We talked for a few hours, until it came time for Bella to leave for her shift. I waved at her from the balcony of the apartment complex as she walked to her car. Suddenly, I spotted a blonde-haired male walking toward her rather quickly. I recognized the man, it was Eddith. I ran down the steps toward them as he grew closer, his appearance was ragged, with a crazed look in his eyes._

" _Eddith!" I screamed, as he drew a knife out of his pocket. Before I could reach Bella, Eddith slid the knife across her throat. I watched in horror, screaming, as Bella's lifeless and bloodied body slumped to the ground. When I reached her body, I tried to stop the bleeding, but it was useless. She was dead._

 _Tears streamed from my face as I screamed her name over and over again._

 _I felt hands across my shoulders, pulling me backwards. I kicked and punched whatever I could, trying to do anything to fight Eddith off. But, he was too strong._

" _You and I are going to have a chat." he growled into my ear as he dragged me across the pavement. Bella's corpse remained in the parking lot, a pool of red surrounding her._

" _You killed her. Why did you kill her." I sobbed as he threw my body back onto the ground._

" _You told her about me." he said as his cold eyes skimmed my face. There was no remorse in his gaze, no humanity, only death. His arms held me in place with great force as I tried every attempt to free myself from his grasp._

" _How did you know that?" I whispered._

 _He grinned sadistically, "I can read your mind. I can make you see what I want you to see, place things in your head that are not there. I can do anything, Kiera."_

 _Suddenly, my body felt like it was being burned alive. I screamed and writhed on the ground, clawing at my face, arms, and legs for any kind of relief. And then, it stopped. He did that, I realized._

" _Yes, I did."_

" _GET OUT OF MY HEAD" I screamed._

 _He pushed me down until his body was pressed against mine, "Now why would I do that?" he whispered in my ear. I shuddered in disgust as he pressed his lips to my cheek. "You have something that I want, and I will get it, but not now. I am having far too much fun with you."_

" _You are a murderer, burn in hell." I seethed, spitting in his face. I tried to remember what Kyle had taught me about summoning fire. Think of the flame, feel the heat. I stared at Eddith, imagining his body burning alive._

 _He smirked at me, "You cannot use my own power against me. I am stronger than you."_

" _Burn." I growled, and the fire that I conjured in my hands spread to his arms, and then his torso. He screamed in pain and toppled backwards. The smell of rotting flesh filled my nose, but the power was too consuming._

 _My body felt so alive, and I wanted more. I continuously threw fire at Eddith as he screamed, thrashing on the ground. My mind craved his death, I smiled at his pain and imagined his bones shattering. I heard a splintering crack, and another gutted scream._

 _I realized that there was a difference between us. His pain was mental, mine was physical. I couldn't just make people see things, I can make them appear. The pain I could inflict was real._

 _Dark thoughts continued to fill my head, and I listened to them, unleashing every possible method of torture onto Eddith. The power felt like a rush of ecstasy, addictive as a drug._

 _I couldn't stop myself until my head grew warm, and I collapsed onto the ground next to Eddith's mangled body._

 _I woke up in a hospital bed, Kyle sat on the edge with tears pooling in his eyes. I sat up slowly, feeling the ache of every bone in my body._

" _Kyle?" I whispered, my throat felt so raw and dry. I could barely speak._

 _Kyle grabbed a cup of water that was placed on the table next to the bed and gingerly handed it to me. "Drink," he said. "You were attacked, I found you on the ground with a bunch of bruises. Your abdomen was bleeding severely. Someone stabbed you."_

 _I frowned, I never remembered being attacked. "I never went outside yesterday, Kyle."_

" _Yes, you did. Do you not remember?" he asked._

 _I shook my head, my memory was so foggy and distorted. The past few days I could recall little of what had happened._

 _Kyle sighed and rubbed his forehead, "Were you on drugs, again?"_

" _No." I said, but Kyle looked doubtful, "I promise I wasn't. I truly don't remember anything."_

 _I had made the mistake in the past of taking drugs, because of my depression that was occurring throughout my life. Kyle had helped me through everything, but occasionally, I slipped up. However, I was too low on money for anything. This was different._

" _The doctors say that you were restrained, because of the bruises. Thankfully, the knife did not penetrate deep enough to cause fatal damage to any organs. You got lucky, Kiera."_

 _I nodded and laid my head back onto the pillow. "So when will I get to leave?" I asked him, taking another sip of the water._

" _Tomorrow, they want to take a few tests and make sure nothing is wrong with your brain. They think it's temporary amnesia because of some head trauma. The police want to speak with you as soon as possible as well."_

 _I sighed and rubbed my forehead, all I wanted was to sleep and forget about everything. "Was there anyone else that was attacked?"_

" _No, just you. Which is why this is all so confusing. Whoever attacked you stole nothing, and singled you out of everyone else that lived here. The paramedics said that you had nothing valuable on you as well."_

 _Something about the situation felt wrong. I tried to think of what I was doing before the blackout, but all I remembered was waking up from a nightmare. There was no memory of going outside, the memories in my head felt strange. I tried to ignore the uneasiness as the doctor came in, clipboard in hand._

 _xXx_

The memory felt raw in my brain as I thought back to that day, the incident that was blamed on a drug trip. More than a year later, I still had no idea of what had happened, or why I was attacked. The person who came after me was never found, there was no security footage, absolutely no trace. It was as if a ghost had tried to kill me.

Now, it was late in the night. I was trying to get my mind off of Jon, the man who I told I loved just under an hour ago. It was a selfish and childish mistake, Jon would never be with me. He swore a vow, his life would be threatened because of me, and yet I made the decision to throw everything good between us away.

 _Of course I love you._

Those words haunted my brain as I tossed and turned. Giving up on any thought of sleep, or how to handle the situation with Jon in the near future, I fastened my cloak and gloves. Opening the door, I stepped out into the cold, desperately needing to escape being trapped in a room with only my thoughts.

I headed towards the my horseback riding had not improved since my arrival at Castle Black, I was able to saddle and mount the horse without any error. I tugged at the reigns, and the black horse slowly trudged forward. I led the horse to the gate, where Grenn and a few other men guarded.

Their heads snapped up from their drowsy state as I approached.

"I would like to ride for a bit." I said to Grenn.

He looked unsure, "Are you certain you want to go now? It's not safe for a lady to go alone."

"I'll be fine, and I will not go far." I assured him. The others exchanged questioning glances before the gates were slowly opened. The creaking of the wood filled the silent night as I tugged on the reigns and lightly squeezed my legs, signaling the horse to move forward.

Grenn gave me a torch to hold as I passed through the gate. It was easy to forget how dark the night truly is, when electricity exists. Without it, everything is completely dark. Only the subtle glow of the moon illuminated the ground, and that was when it was full.

Tonight it was a waxing crescent, providing little light to the ground in front of me. The torch crackled quietly as the horse walked through the snow. I wasn't reluctant to go out at night, despite the warnings from Jon and the other men. It was rare when I went out on my own, and tonight was one of those nights where I needed to be alone.

I led the horse for a few more miles outside of the gate until I spotted a small tree to sit under. Dismounting, I tied the horse's reins to the trunk and sat down, planting the torch in the snow. Surprisingly, despite the frigid temperatures- I was not cold. The heavy fur cloak pooled around me as I leaned my head against the wood.

"Alright" I breathed, "let's try lifting the sticks."

The horse grunted at my remark as I closed my eyes and focused on the image of the fallen twigs in front of me. _Raise the sticks_. It was such a simple task, yet it was mentally exhausting.

" _Shit" I muttered as the plate I had been lifting crashed to the ground, sounding a loud bang throughout the apartment._

 _Kyle came running out of his bedroom, dripping water on the tile. "What was that?" he said, staring questioningly at the shattered glass on the ground._

" _Practicing, I hope it wasn't a favorite of yours."_

 _Kyle cracked a smile, "No, but I'll make sure to grab plastic plates next time I go to the store."_

 _I laughed as I gently picked up the shattered remnants of the plate off of the floor._

I smiled at the memory of my brother. Kyle and I had grown up as best friends, hardly getting into arguments. After all, we only had each other. It was bittersweet to think of him, months had passed, and sometimes I had begun to forget that there was even a life before this. I tried not to think about how he was alone, and how he thought I was dead. _Did he even have a funeral? We barely knew anyone, and never had any knowledge of other family members._

 _Stop thinking and focus._

I took a deep breath and imagined the twigs floating, and without a pause, the pieces gently floated in the air. I smiled to myself, and with the wave of my hand- they rotated and shifted. Even the horse seemed to be impressed with my work.

But this was not all I hoped to achieve, it was time to stop with the elementary practices. The twigs suddenly bursts into flames, creating a fire in midair. Throwing my hand out, the burning wood twisted at my grasp and morphed into a spherical shape.

I sent the ball surging through the air and into the snow, where it defused with a large cloud of smoke. Sitting back against the truck, I grinned to myself. _Kyle would be fist bumping me right now_. Despite the sweat and exhaustion that was lingering in my body, I felt exhilarated.

What I could practice by myself was far more advanced than what I would accomplish with maester Aemon, only due to the fact that his tower was limited on space. Here, I could do whatever I wanted. The snow made it more accessible to practice my magic without risk of setting Castle Black aflame.

For a few more hours, I practiced manifesting flame and projecting it from my body. I had reached a point, when sweat was running down my face and my hair stuck to my neck, that the flame would simply flow from my fingertips and into the air. The heat, which would have burned my hand as severely as Jon's, felt like a kiss of warmth- welcoming and mild. I did not feel the cold that surrounded me, because I was a walking flame.

It felt good to know what I could do.

I always possessed the ability to harvest heat, but never the cold. Every time I would attempt to wield the cold, heat would replace it instead. It was as if my body repelled ice. I stood and dusted off the snow from my cloak, "Okay" I said to the mare, "let's go back."

I untied the reins from the trunk and carefully mounted the saddle. The ride back to the gate was quiet, only the sound of trotting hooves protruded the stiff air. Even in the frigid weather, the air felt fresh. The wind carried softly through the air, it almost seemed as if it was howling as it blew over the Wall. I did not feel afraid, as I was beyond the Wall. Although the darkness that surrounded me carried mystery, I did not experience fear.

The gates cracked open as I returned to Castle Black, with my torch in hand. I led the mare back the the stables and dismounted, giving the horse an apple and a pat on the neck. When I returned to my room, I made the multiple trips to fill the tub with water. Once I managed to fill it, I manifested fire at the bottom of the tub to heat the water.

Peeling off the many layers of clothing, I stepped into the hot water, sighing as I submerged myself into the tub. In the months that I had arrived, maintaining hygiene was far more difficult than I had anticipated. I gently combed through my hair and used my blade to shave my legs and armpits, resisting the urge to cut my hair. It now reached my lower back, and was becoming increasingly harder to maintain. When I finished bathing, I dried myself with a brown cloth and braided my hair.

My appearance had greatly changed since my arrival. I noticed that the muscles in my arms and legs had grown more prominent with each day of training. My face had become slightly thinner, and my eyebrows were more bushy. But these were changes that I did not mind, afterall, I still had the array of freckles that line my eyes and cheeks.

After dressing, I heard a knock at my door. The thought that it could be Jon raced through my mind, I had promptly shut him out of my thoughts for the night.

I slowly opened the door, "Jon I cannot-"

My breath caught in my throat.

It wasn't Jon who stood at my door.

It was Eddith.

Fear raced through me, and my initial instinct was to scream, but I shiftly tried to close the door. He was too strong, and pushed past, knocking me to the floor.

"Eddith-"

His hand stopped me from speaking as it clamped down on my mouth. His lips connected to my ear, "Do not make a sound or I will cut your throat." he whispered venomously.

I stared up at him, his face was ghostly pale and his eyes were as blue as ever. He was clothed in all black, just like the men at Castle Black. When he removed his hand, I quickly stood up and backed against the wall.

"How are you here?" I whispered, in shock that the man who plagued my memories and dreams stood in front of me.

He did not reply at first, looking me up and down with narrowed eyes. "That does not matter." he said, taking a step in my direction.

I moved further down the wall, "You- you can't be here. You were trapped, in the other world."

"Ah" he began, smiling, "not anymore. You see, I was trapped, unable to return to Westeros. But I found another way in, a loophole if you will."

"What's the loophole?" I asked, eyeing the room for my weapons, which were on the opposite side near the bed.

He made a ticking noise with his mouth and smiled, "But why would I tell you, when there is so much to talk about?"

Suddenly, he was inches from my face, I couldn't even process his movement because it happened so fast. "Wouldn't you like to know what happened to your brother?" he asked maliciously, trailing a finger down my face. Not only did the sensation feel cold, but it also felt wrong, like it wasn't actually real.

"What happened to Kyle?" I whispered.

Eddith smiled again and backed away, shaking his head. "If you want to know, you will have to come beyond the Wall with me."

"I'm not going anywhere with you." I spat.

"You won't have a choice. Soon, I'll be here for good, and you will come with me. Even if I have to drag your body there myself, maybe you'll be in _pieces_ by the time I am done with you." he purred. "Remember when you thought that the link between us was broken? That's because I made you think it was, you cannot block me out, Kiera. I know everything, you are only helping me achieve my goal."

A shiver ran down my spine, and feelings of rage boiled inside of me. "Get. Out."

Before he could step towards me, I manifested the flames in the palms of my hands and thrusted them at Eddith with every piece of energy I could muster. He disappeared before the fire could touch him, and I was once again left alone in the darkness.

A wave of exhaustion overtook me, and I sank to the ground as the tears began to flow, _he was never here. It was all in my head_ , I thought miserably. Maester Aemon had claimed that the connection we shared was broken, but that was not the case. I debated what to do as another knock sounded at my door.

Without warning, Jon entered the room. My breath caught at the sight of his worried facial expression. "Kiera?" he called softly.

"Down here." I whispered back. His eyes met mine with such sadness, and he walked over to where I sat.

"You are crying." he said disdainfully, crouching down to my level.

I shook my head and wiped my eyes on the sleeve of my shirt, "Not because of you. I had a visit, from Eddith."

Jon's pained expression crumpled and turned into rage, "What?" he seethed.

"When I came out of the washroom, there was a knock and I thought it was you, but it was _him._ Jon, the connection was never broken, he was just toying with me. He can still get inside of my head." I whispered, feeling the tears coming on again. "He said that something happened to- to my brother."

"We need to see the maester." he said, reaching to pull me up. My legs buckled underneath me and I sank to the ground again.

"No, please. I can barely move and I am so tired. I just want to sleep. We will handle this in the morning." I croaked, feeling the headache that was growing in my head become more pronounced.

"Kiera, you are in danger. We have to do something."

I did not have the energy to stand again, "We will, in the morning. Can you please help me into bed."

Jon sighed and pulled me to my feet. Wrapping an arm around my shoulders, he led me to my bed. I practically fell into the bedding as the exhaustion set in. I had done too much tonight, and the encounter with Eddith had used every ounce of energy I had left. When I was settled in, Jon gently removed my boots and pulled the fur cover over my body.

I pulled on his arm before he could stand, "Please don't leave me." I whispered, I did not want to be alone for the rest of the night. The thought of Eddith returning sent chills throughout my body.

Without any hesitation, Jon slowly nodded and rose to lock the door. I moved over to make space for him as he gingerly laid himself next to me on the bed. "I'm here now, go to sleep." he muttered.

I let my eyes close, and my led my hand to entwine with his. I heard Jon suck in a breath, but I did not care. I needed someone, and I needed him.

"Kiera, about the kiss-"

"Don't talk please, we will handle it in the morning."

Jon sighed and moved his arm to pull me closer, which I did not object to. I let my head fall gently across his chest as it rose up and down. Soon, I drifted off into a peaceful state. A place where no threat of Eddith existed, a place of warmth and security. I felt Jon's face nestle in my hair as he quietly whispered, "I will always keep you safe."

And I believed it.

xxx


	14. Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen: Clarity

07/23/18

xXx

It was daybreak when I felt Jon stirring from underneath me. I had awoken a few moments before him, and our bodies had somewhat become entwined during the night. My leg was wrapped around his, and my upper body was sprawled across his chest. Jon's arm still gripped my body protectively even in his sleep.

My slumber had been an extremely short one, but without any nightmares or psychological visits from Eddith- the psychopath that haunted me. I gently lifted my head and stared at Jon, whose face was mostly obscured by the amount of black hair that framed his sleeping face.

He looked so at ease, without any worry or frown adorning his face, that it felt like a crime to wake him. But alas, all good things must come to an end.

"Jon?" I whispered quietly, shaking him. He groaned and shifted his body, and his arm slid away from me.

I shook him again, a bit harder this time. "Jon, you have to get up or we will both be in trouble."

Jon's eyes shot open and he was up in an instant. "Seven hells." he muttered, throwing off the blanket and dressing himself quickly. I noticed his face was extremely pink. I stayed slumped in the bed, watching him fumble around the room for his sword and boots.

It seemed a like millenium before he noticed my presence, "Good morning." he said to me, and I laughed.

"Good morning, and thank you or staying with me." I replied, giving him a reassuring smile. Even through all of the awkwardness, especially after the previous night, being with Jon felt normal- like there was nothing to be ashamed about.

He nodded curtly, "I had to make sure _he_ would not return."

I rubbed my face, dreading the talk with maester Aemon that would have to transpire today. "Can we just not say a word about this? We could stay here all day, in bed." I joked, but Jon's eyes grew wide and his face turned a deeper shade of pink.

"We cannot, I meant what I said. Last night was...different." he said strictly. I sighed and nodded, _it was back to all formalities I guess._ But, in the back of my mind, I knew he was right. Love did not matter here. Jon was too honorable to conceit to his feelings, and I did not blame him. His life could be threatened because of our relationship.

Knowing that I could not remain in bed forever, I slowly stood and made my way to the washroom as Jon hurried out of the door, promising to reunite with me for breakfast after he met with Commander Mormont.

As I finished my business, a horrifying realization rose to my attention, _I had gotten my period._ I stared at my soiled undergarments in shock, it had been months since my arrival and I had completely disregarded my period at all. Logically, I figured that my body was recovering from the shock of everything, but it still upsetted me nonetheless.

Another terrifying thought, _did Jon notice?_ I prayed to whatever existed up above that he did not. After checking the bedding, miraculously there was no trace of blood. I sighed with relief, that could have been another embarrassing moment to add to the growing list.

The next step was figuring out how to manage _it._ Westeros clearly was short of modern day feminine products, so I cut a cloth with my knife and fastened it into my undergarments, praying that it held throughout the day. I would have to wash everything by nightfall.

After dressing and braiding my hair, I headed to the hall for breakfast- finding that I was extremely starved from the fiasco that was last night. As per usual, I greeted Sam and the others with a friendly smile. The encounter with Eddith had gone unnoticed by Castle Black, as it was all in my head.

"Morning, my lady." Sam piped cherrily, "Have you slept well?"

 _If only you knew,_ I thought solemnly. "Fine, how about yourself?"

Sam shrugged as well, "Does any man here actually get a well night's rest?" he asked sarcastically.

I chuckled and shook my head, "I guess not, it is extremely cold and desolate."

From across the hall, I spotted Jon heading in with the commander, both looking quite stressed.

"They are burnin' the corpses today." Grenn said as he set his plate down. The mention of the walking dead sent a wave of nausea through my stomach.

"Good, they ought to." Sam whispered, shuttering. I didn't blame him, the entire hall seemed to be burdened by the loom of the dead this morning. Whispers and strange looks at Jon were cast between the men. The story of the wight had spread quickly through Castle Black, _better that than of us kissing._

I rubbed my heavy eyes with my gloves, feeling both exhausted and unnerved at everything happening, the dead man coming back to life, the kiss Jon and I shared, and the psychological attack by Eddith. It all seemed too much to manage at once, and the one thing I desired most in the world in this moment was a cup of coffee.

Jon took his seat between Sam and I with his bowl of cornmeal, the food was not exactly divine this morning. I took many sips of my water to fight the urge to vomit at the mush that was my breakfast. The other men gulped down their cups of ale, which I could not handle right at dawn.

I leaned my head in my hands and closed my eyes as the steady conversations flowed between Jon and the others at the table, until Jon nudged me with his elbow.

"Kiera, it is time to clean up." he whispered. My eyes shot open, I did not realize I had actually dozed off during breakfast. Bowls and cups were clattering in the hall while most of the men headed out to resume their daily tasks.

"Sorry." I mumbled as I clumsily stood up, stretching my sore limbs.

Jon looked me over worriedly, "You need to speak with maester Aemon, and then you need to rest."

"But training-"

"Training can wait." Jon said sternly, giving me a pointed look. There were times when Jon seemed like a shy boy who did not know what he wanted, and there were also times when he appeared and spoke with the voice of a commander. I nodded and brought my bowl to the tub for washing.

Jon's hand brushed my arm before he left with the commander, and I headed to see maester Aemon. When I arrived at the tower, the men outside let me in without question. My visits were regulated at this point.

"Hello, maester Aemon." I greeted as I caught him sitting at his table, while his steward read letters aloud to him.

The maester waved his steward away, who shot me a reluctant glance before he exited the library. "Kiera." he rasped, nodding his head at me while staring at nothing.

"I came here to tell you something that happened last night." I began, fumbling with my hands.

"Ah, it was quite the scene, as I have been told."

"I'm not talking about the wight." I said to him.

"I am speaking about you and Jon."

I paused, unsure of what to say. _How could he possibly know?_ "What do you mean?" I asked innocently, fear struck me. If the maester knew Jon was with me last night, who else knew?

"I know that Jon was in your quarters, but I assume it must have been for something important." he replied, though there was a slight irony lurking in his tone.

"Jon came in my quarters because I saw Eddith last night."

Maester Aemon's expression was difficult to interpret, "Tell me every detail."

And so I told him everything, I admitted that I was with Jon beforehand, and when i returned to my room there was a knock at my door. I told him of how I physically felt Eddith's hand on me, and felt his breath against my ear. I also added how he wanted me to go away with him, and spoke of my brother. It was a long moment before the maester spoke again, and when he did, the chains on his chest seemed to weigh down his chest as he breathlessly spoke.

"As you have explained, the connection must still remain. However, there cannot be a way for Eddith to return to this world again. The gods will not allow it as long as you are here. He is toying with you, and you must remain strong. Resist his torture and do not give in, because that gives him the power to overtake you." he told me. There was a certain pain that adorned his face, which saddened my heart. I could never imagine what he must feel, knowing that his only living family member was as evil as Eddith was.

"I wish there was a way to block him out. I thought that I had done so, but apparently I was wrong." I said. I felt so vulnerable now, knowing that Eddith had complete access to my mind.

"You told me that you managed to fight him off."

I shrugged, "Yes, but that was after he invaded my mind. I want to know how to shut him out completely."

Maester Aemon thought for a moment, fiddling his hands in his lap. "Try to create a wall inside of your head. Rid all of your thoughts of Eddith and replace them with something else."

"Like what?" I asked, Eddith was one of the top things that plagued my daily thoughts.

"Your brother, or maybe Jon. Something that is stronger than your memories of Eddith."

"There really isn't anything to think about with Jon-"

The maester waved his hand and cut me off, "I know about the kiss you shared with the boy."

I stopped, "How could you possibly know?" I whispered, I knew that Jon and I were alone and I was careful to not encounter anyone as I left his room.

"I may be blind, but that does not mean that I cannot _see."_ he said pointedly, "Remember that Jon's duty is to the Night's Watch, and it will always be just that."

"Maester Aemon I am so sorry." I told him sincerely, and I meant it. The guilt of kissing Jon was growing by the minute, knowing the danger I had placed him in.

"I will not tell your secret, but I do not approve of it either."

"It will not happen again." I promised him.

"And yet you are lying." he sighed, turning his white eyes to rest directly on _me._

xXx

The smell of rotting corpses blew in the wind as I made my way to quarters, _they must have burned the bodies,_ I realized. There was a slight comfort in knowing that whatever had prompted the dead man to come back to life was destroyed now, but that did not disperse the growing threat in the back of my mind and the uneasiness in my heart.

I noticed a crowd forming around the hall, there seemed to be an array of excitement floating through the air between the men. I descended the steps leading to the training yard and pushed through the crowd to see what everyone was looking at.

A smile crept on my face as I found Jon, surrounded by Sam, Pyp, and Grenn as they examined a sword. It was extremely long and sharp, with a white wolf engraved on the hilt. I was no expert in swords, but I could see why there was a buzz of anticipation among everyone.

When Jon caught my eye, he smiled a bit. I walked over to the group to get a closer look at the sword, seeing my own reflection in the metal.

"It is Valyrian steel." Sam remarked, in awe of the sword.

"What's the significance?" I asked, reaching out to touch the cool and reflective metal.

"It is a very old and rare metal, there isn't much left now. Whatever is left is passed down as heirlooms through noble houses, Commander Mormont gave his to Jon because he killed the wight." Sam explained enthusiastically.

I turned to grin at Jon, but I noticed that his face did not match the excitement of the others. "Congratulations." I told him sincerely, and he nodded in thanks.

As the others took off with the sword, I turned to Jon and raised my eyebrows. "Why don't you seem as happy as the others are?"

Jon frowned, "I feel as if I am not deserving of the sword."

"Why not? You were so brave, you killed a damn _wight_."

He shook his head, "No. It is not because of that."

"Then what is it?" I asked, looking up at him. "Tell me."

Jon sighed and sat on the bench. "I always dreamt that one day, I would do something honorable and heroic for my father, and he would name me a Stark. It is tradition for fathers to pass their swords to their sons. Commander Mormont gave me his because his son, Jorah Mormont, brought shame to his house. I do not feel as if I truly deserve this, because I am a bastard."

 _There it was again, that word._ "Jon, you truly deserve this. I told you that I do not care about your customs of bastards, you saved his life and you earned the reward."

I grabbed his hand and looked him directly in the eyes, hoping to convince him of my words. His dark expression lifted in some ways, but not entirely. "Thank you." he whispered.

I smiled and squeezed his hand, "I will always tell you what you need to hear. Now go get your sword, you _earned_ it."

He grinned at me and promptly stood, "You spoke to maester Aemon?" he asked.

I nodded, "We talked, I'll tell you about it later. I think you'll want to retrieve your sword before Pyp stabs himself with it."

Jon emitted a deep, throaty laugh that warmed my heart. "I shall, and please Kiera, get rest."

"I will." I replied, smiling at him as he rushed over to where Pyp and another boy were waving the sword around in the air. The moments like this reminded me that life was not entirely encompassed of darkness in this world.

xXx

 _I found myself standing in a cave. Around me were vast arrays of roots and vines, and the air felt tight, as if I was far underground._

 _My feet lead me through the tunnels that seemed to stretch on for infinity. I felt exposed, as only a thin slit of cloth covered my body, and my feet were bare. My hair was loose and fell to my bottom as I walked._

 _I had no knowledge of where I was going, but I continued to walk on through the dirt pathways for hours until I reached a tree in the middle of an opening. The tree was surrounded by thousands of roots, where an old man sat within. His eyes were white, like maester Aemon's, as he gazed off into something unknown._

" _Hello?" I called cautiously, taking a step towards the mysterious man._

 _His eyes remained white and distant as he responded to me, "So you have found my cave."_

" _I don't know how I got here." I replied, looking around me. "But who are you?"_

" _I am the Three-Eyed raven."_

" _What is the 'Three-Eyed raven'?" I asked curiously, having never heard of such a thing._

" _I am a Greenseer, and you are Kiera Black- a moon child."_

 _I stepped backwards, mouth opening in shock. "How did you know my name?"_

" _I've seen and known many things. I can see the past, the present, and the future."_

" _Is that even possible?"_

" _You are asking me if my existence is possible, yet here you are, equally as unique and gifted as I."_

 _I frowned, I knew this was a dream, but it all eerily real. "I guess that is true, do you know my future?" I asked curiously._

 _The Three-Eyed raven paused, and nodded. "Yes, and I know your past as well, your old life with your brother, Kyle. But that is gone now, your life is here. Your future lies in Westeros."_

" _I find that difficult to believe, I don't even understand why I was brought here in the first place."_

" _You were brought here for a purpose, and you will serve that purpose." he said ominously._

 _I rolled my eyes, "I've heard that many times, but nobody will seem to tell me what that purpose actually is."_

" _Your purpose will become clear soon, the long winter is coming, and you need to prepare yourself. The gods did not bring a child of the moon back to Westeros for nothing. War is coming."_

" _But how?" I pleaded, wondering what kind of war he was referring to._

" _Go beyond the Wall and renew your magic, say the vow. Everything else will naturally come to pass. The truth lies beyond the Wall."_

 _The images around me began to blur. No, stay asleep, I told myself. The dream became fuzzy and disoriented, but I managed to get a last word out before I rose back to consciousness._

" _This this real? Or am I just dreaming?" I asked hurriedly, the walls of my mind were breaking down quickly. The Three-Eyed raven seemed further away now, floating out of consciousness._

" _It is both reality and a dream."_


	15. Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen: Broken Things and Reoccurring Dreams

07/24/18

xXx

It only took a mere few minutes for Jon to realize that Kiera was missing from Castle Black. When dawn broke, he had alerted the Commander and put together a group within the hour, setting off in search of her. A million scenarios ran through his mind as they searched the outer gate. When they had not found her, a man named Brion had informed Jon that the tunnel running through the Wall had been opened in the night, and a guard lay unconscious on the ground.

Jon, the Commander, and the others found Kiera lying the snow. Her skin was as pale as ice, with fallen snow covering her hair. She did not have a cloak or outerwear, only her night garments- Jon worried that she might have frostbite from the brittle winter.

"Seven hells, how in God's name could she make it this far?" Commander Mormont growled at him and Jon dismounted, Jon immediately rushing to her side and throwing his cloak over her frosted body.

Jon looked up at the agitated old man, "Lord Commander, she needs to get to maester Aemon. She's barely breathing."

Mormont nodded reluctantly, with an expression that Jon had interpreted as _we will discuss this later._

The men collectively picked up Kiera's limp body and carried her to a wooden platform that was saddled to one of the mares. Gingerly placing her on the stretcher, Jon slowly made the way back through the tunnels and to the maester's tower.

Maester Aemon held no surprise on his face as they carried her in and explained what had happened, placing her on a small cot that the maester used for the wounded. "Get the girl some furs to cover her body, we need to warm it back to a normal temperature." he croaked, getting a vile of dark liquid from the hands of a steward.

Jon nodded and covered Kiera's body, encasing her in furs that would increase her body heat. She let out one tiny sigh, but did not open her eyes. With the other men watching him with a close eye, Jon did not dare touch her face, or gaze at her no more than necessary. Commander Mormont would surly murder him if he found out that Jon had almost bedded Kiera.

The maester's stewards quickly started a fire, and pressed warm clothes to Kiera's forehead. After a few long moments, sweat began to form on her brow as her eyes cracked open.

Kiera slowly came to her senses, as the heat flooded her body. She remembered her dream, but she did not remember falling asleep or anything after. Everything was foggy and disoriented. She tried to sit up but the maester beckoned her back down, "Rest child, your body needs to heal from the extreme conditions you put it through. We found you outside of the Wall, in the forest."

Kiera's eyes widened and fear struck her heart, _it was real,_ she thought suddenly. Only then did she notice the assembly that was around her. Jon was looking at her with a worried expression, while the Commander's was slightly more agitated. She had felt so _exhausted_ , and dehydrated.

"Can I get some water?" she rasped, feeling the soreness scratching the back of her throat. Jon handed her a small canister and she hastily gulped down the contents.

Commander Mormont took a step toward her, with a disapproving expression adorning his face. "Would you like to tell me what happened, girl?" he asked.

"Commander, I think Lady Kiera needs-"

"Quiet, Snow." Mormont growled at Jon, who had interjected to try and come to Kiera's defense.

Kiera sighed and took a deep breath, would she bring up the dream? Surely they would call her a witch and throw her out of Castle Black, or simply not believe her. She knew this, so did Jon and maester Aemon.

"Commander Mormont, I sincerely apologize. I cannot tell you how I got out, because I have no memory of it." she replied earnestly.

The Commander was not satisfied with her reply, "So that guard was assaulted by Ghost, then?" he said to her, frowning.

"I attacked someone?" Kiera asked with surprise, looking at Jon for an answer. His expression looked strained, "We believe you did, he was found unconscious."

"I-" Kiera stopped herself, sitting back in the cot with sagging shoulders, she was at a loss for words. _I have no control over my body, I can't remember anything, and every night I am plagued with visions,_ she thought miserably. She felt disgusted with herself, and unable to explain to the Commander what had actually transpired.

"I am growing tired of hearing about you and the things you are doing here, Lady Black." Mormont spat, "The men have been asking questions about you the moment you arrived, and I cannot have these whispers continue. We have far more to worry about than what you do at night."

"Commander Mormont, I can promise you it will not happen again. I will do anything you need me to." she told him in a pleading voice, she did not want to get Jon in trouble- or herself for that matter. The commander had been gracious to let her stay for an extended period, the moment she has to leave is the moment she is dreading.

"Good. Because if it does, I am afraid you will no longer be welcome as a guest at Castle Black. You are to stay here for the rest of the day for maester Aemon to examine you, and find out what sickness has plagued you."

With that, the Commander guestered for everyone to exit the room. Jon took one last fleeting look at Kiera before he dragged his feet through the door. He wished that he had a moment to speak with her, to ask if she was all right, but Mormont was not in the mood for leisuring. The commander with not a doubt would be having a word with Jon after this.

 _A sickness,_ she thought miserably, _they all think I am a sickly and crazed girl._ Kiera slowly sat up from the cot and stretched her aching limbs, cringing at the soreness that ran down her spine.

"They would not understand the truth, Lady Black." the maester said quietly.

Kiera sighed and fell back into the cot, "I swear I'm telling the truth, I do not remember anything, except for the dream I had."

"Would you tell me of this dream?" he replied, leaning back in the wooden chair, causing it to give a subtle creak under the maester's weight.

Nodding to herself, Kiera launched into the contents of the dream- where she was, the three-eyed raven, the things he said. Maester Aemon listened without interrupting, showing little expression on his face as his eyes blindly darted around the room. When she finished her tale, all that could be heard was the crackling of the flame in the corner of the room.

"It is equally frightening and fascinating to find that the stories one heard as a boy are not just senseless horrors, that these stories are as true as you and I." said the maester, frowning to himself as his mind became lost in his thoughts.

"You have heard of the three-eyed raven?" Kiera asked with surprise. A small feeling of relief bestowed itself upon her mind, knowing that someone else believed her and understood what she was talking about.

The maester grunted and nodded, "We were told as boys the legends of the raven, and the white walkers, along with many other things- including your people. This was no mere dream, this was meant to happen, Lady Black. Your time grows closer than we think."

"I don't mean to offend, maester- but I have grown tired of the animosity. Why does the three-eyed raven want me to go beyond the Wall?" Kiera demanded, irritation spiking her tone. She regretted being rude to the maester, who had become her closest confidante besides Jon in Westeros, but she needed concrete answers.

"The children of the Moon lie beyond the Wall, and gods know what else. Your history comes from the North. You are having these dreams because someone wants you there. The long night is approaching and I do not doubt that whatever comes with it will only bring death to the man kind."

"Did this happen to Eddith?" she asked curiously, wondering how the maester could be so sure of himself.

He nodded slowly, "Eddith had these dreams- he was a bird, flying through the snow and beyond the Wall. He often would speak of these afflictions to me. One night, he even tried to sneak away and board a ship to travel to it. Something called him there, and that same thing is calling for you."

"Why would the three-eyed raven want me?"

"I never said that it was the raven who wanted you. There is magic in this world, both good and bad. It could be another being, reaching out to the last living child of the Moon. You are a dangerous weapon, and that is for certain." he told her.

Kiera frowned to herself, was that all she was? A weapon to be used in an army at war, and when they were tired of her- she would be disposed. She was a _person_ , not an object. But she could not deny the desire to go find whatever wanted her beyond the Wall, it was there, lingering in her thoughts.

"Do you think I should leave then? Go beyond the Wall?" Kiera asked softly, fiddling with her hands as they rested in her lap.

"That is for you to decide when you are ready, as of right now I do not believe you have the means to survive in the wild, and you are far from complete in training. When the time comes, nobody here will stop you from leaving."

After leaving the maester's tower, the last thing that Kiera wanted to do was rest. These days, that was all she ever did. Although every bone in her body ached with each step through the snow, she headed for the training yard. She needed to practice with a sword, or a bow- anything to release all the frustration that held itself inside of her body.

The usual lineup of men were down in the yard, but Jon was nowhere to be seen. Kiera looked for a familiar face, someone who would train with her properly, but none could be found. Instead, she made her way down and stood at the back of the crowd, watching the other men fight.

In all of her time at Castle Black, there were few who's fighting impressed her. Most of these men were highly inexperienced with a blade, she wondered if they'd even serve properly in a real battle. The two older men fighting barely struck each other, instead they tiptoed in a circle, throwing sloppy strikes here and there.

"You two fight like _women_." Alliser snarled from atop of the platform that overlooked the yard.

"Why does the comparison have to always be a _woman?_ " Kiera muttered quietly to herself. A chuckle arose from behind her. Curious to see who it was, she turned around, not recognizing the face who stood facing her.

"Most women don't fight millady." the man said. He had shoulder-length brown hair, and a sturdy build. His nose was narrow and long, with crooked teeth and a strong jawline. Under the dirt on his face, Kiera found him to be slightly charming in a rugged way.

She pointed to herself, "This woman does, even though I may not be an expert I could even take them."

The man raised his eyebrows, "I'd imagine with Jon teachin' you, you'd be a knight of the King's Guard."

Kiera cracked a grin, "Alliser wouldn't like that."

"No, he'd shit himself."

A sudden cry of pain caused Kiera to turn back around to the fight, where one of the men was pinned to the ground by the opponent's hilt of the sword. A trickle of blood oozed from his chin.

"I suppose you'll be wantin' to know my name." the man said from behind her.

Kiera turned around with raised eyebrows and glanced at him. "What is your name then?"

A spark of amusement touched his eyes, "It's Bain, millady."

"Pleasant to meet you, Bain." she replied, almost sticking her hand out- but stopping. _People do not shake hands here_ , she thought, _they bow and curtsy whatever else_.

"Can I ask question?"

"Go ahead."

Bain's expression became more sinister, "Is the 'diplomatic mission from Winterfell' a cover for you bein' Snow's little whore?"

Taken aback by the question, Kiera stook with her mouth open at the man she thought was friendly. His smirk seemed to grow as he waited for a reply. A few other men had turned their attention away from the training and now looked upon Kiera and Bain.

Anger pulsed through her body as her hand flew through the air and slapped Bain across the face with all the force she intended. He stumbled back, with an enraged look. Kiera stood her ground and tipped her chin up, "Say that again and watch what happens next, why I am here is none of your concern, and I am nobody's _whore_." she spat, giving Bain the coldest look she could muster.

Bain took no heed to her warning and smiled again, tipping his head to the side in a daunting manner, " _Whore."_ he replied.

Without hesitation, Kiera felt heat rushing to her fingertips as she swung at Bain, hitting him directly in the face. He screamed and fell to the ground, clutching the burn that now adorned his face.

A loud voice boomed from the back of the crowd, "STOP!"

Kiera saw Ser Alliser stomping his way to the scene, where a circle had now formed around the fallen man and Kiera. She did not bother looking at the expressions of those who swarmed around her, instead, she turned on her heels and walked away- ignoring the call of Alliser and the vile insults that Bain screamed at her.

She hated these men, she hated this cold and depressing place. Hell, she even hated the North. Kiera had grown tired of the whispers, the strange looks, the sexist treatment in training- everything. Castle Black was truly an unpleasant place for her, and now the prospect of leaving it and venturing into the unknown seemed more attractive than before.

Kiera found her room within minutes and slammed the door shut, locking it, and throwing herself into her bed. For the next few hours, she stared at the stone ceiling, listened to the crackling of the fire, and the muffled sounds coming from the rest of the castle. She thought of her brother, her future, and Jon. Part of her was relieved that Jon had not witnessed the fight, but yet part of her secretly yearned that he had.

She was not angry at herself for the outburst, truthfully, she was proud. Kiera had brought a man to his feet with nothing but her hands, move that Kyle would most certainly be proud of. _But, what would Jon think?_

As fate would have it, a knock sounded at her door. When she unlatched the lock and cracked the door, the man who she thought would appear was not there. Instead, Samwell Tarly stood, fiddling with his hands. His face was slightly crimson due to the frigid temperatures, and he seemed winded.

"Lady Black" he huffed, taking a clumsy bow, "I came to make sure that you were all right."

Kiera smiled and fully opened the door, " I am just fine, thank you for being so thoughtful."

"It is nothing, really. Jon sent me because he was tied up with the Commander."

 _So that is why she has not heard from him,_ she thought to herself.

"Do you know when he will be done?' she asked curiously.

"Within the hour, surly. The Commander was told by Alliser that you had attacked one of the men, and he replied that Bain should have known how to properly fight, or he wouldn't have lost."

Kiera laughed, slightly relieved that the Commander had not requested her to be thrown out of Castle Black by the incident.

"Anyways, I should be heading back. I know Jon will be around shortly." Sam said, glancing around the area nervously.

A sudden thought entered her head, "Sam? Can I ask you something?" she inquired.

He nodded eagerly, "Anything, my Lady."

"What exactly is the Three-Eyed Raven?" she asked curiously. The maester hadn't exactly given her a detailed description earlier in the day, so she thought she would ask Sam- due to the fact that he knew almost everything.

Sam looked pleased that she asked, "Well" he began in an excited voice, "the Three-Eyed Raven is one of the oldest beings in the world- legend has it- and he is gifted with Greensight. It is the ability to perceive things in the future or past. He is so old, that he doesn't even have a _name_."

Kiera nodded, absorbing the information. "What if I told you that I dreamt of him?"

"It is only a myth, my Lady. Nobody knows where he would reside if he were living."

"You believe in White Walkers, don't you? So why not this?" she asked, looking at him.

Sam paused for a moment, frowning to himself. "I read many things, history and fiction. I did not believe in the White Walkers until Jon killed that wight in Commander Mormont's tower. Maybe there is such thing of a Three-Eyed Raven, and maybe there isn't."

"It would not be a stretch, compared to the White Walkers." she added.

"That is true. One day we may just find out."

Kiera bid Sam a good night and spent the rest of the evening reading a history book that she had borrowed from the maester's library, until another knock sounded at her door. Jon stood in the doorway when she opened it, with a sack in his hands.

He gave her a soft, kind smile, "I brought you dinner, smuggled it out of the great hall. I figured you hadn't eaten anything."

Kiera returned the smile, "Thank you so much, I am starving."

He carefully placed the sack in her hands and glanced around the corridor before entering. As he passed her, the scent of winter and ale drifted to her nose. She moved to sit at the small wooden table by the fire and emptied the sack of its contents as Jon removed his cloak.

Inside, there was bread and "mutton", something she had grown accustomed to in her time at Castle Black. Jon noticed her distasteful expression and smiled meekly, "I know you don't like it very much, but it was all the cook made today."

She shrugged and threw a handful in her mouth, "It is better than nothing."

Jon took his seat across from her, leaning back to watch her as she ate. "About this morning," he began, but she held up a finger to silence him.

"I know, what I did was incredibly stupid and dangerous. But I could not just let him say those things about us, Jon. It was so degrading."

Jon sighed and gave her a sad look, "I know, but you cannot fight every man here at Castle Black. Mormont may have excused your actions today, but he still remains leery of what happened last night. All of the men are speaking of it."

"I told the truth, I do not know what happened."

"I understand, but-"

Kiera set her bowl down and gave Jon a pointed look, "I had no control over myself, and no memory of what even happened. All I know is that I saw the Three- Eyed Raven, and he saw _me._ It wasn't just an ordinary dream, he knew my life. I dreamt about him before anyone ever told me about him."

"I would never call you a liar.." he said softly.

Kiera nodded to herself, fiddling with her hands as the anxiety clouded in her mind at what she was about to say, "Jon?" she asked, looking at him carefully.

He raised his eyebrows, waiting for her to speak. Kiera took a deep breath and lifted her chin, "I think I need to go North. Something keeps calling out to me, and I cannot continue to ignore it. I have to find whatever is looking for me."

Jon stared at her with an expression that held both hurt and surprise, he did not speak for some time. "And how do you expect to survive out in the wild, having no knowledge of this world?" he asked gruffly.

Kiera sighed, she knew he would say this. "I understand, but-"

"No you don't. You haven't been by yourself out there. If our rangers, experienced men, can't make it by themselves, how will you survive? You'll die from starvation or from whatever else is out there." he replied sternly.

"I have to go at some point." she whispered.

Jon's gaze softened, "I know, but now is not the time. I cannot protect you beyond the Wall."

Kiera knew that she needed to find the reason for her nightmares, she knew that Eddith was a real threat, and she knew that there was something bigger beyond the Wall. But, she also knew deep down that if she left now, she would regret it. Jon was right, of course, she would not survive in the wild. She slumped back in her chair,

"I just want them to stop" she said quietly, "the nightmares, the visions, waking up in the middle of nowhere, doing things I can't remember. I want it all to stop."

"We will make them stop with time." he promised her, and she knew he meant it. Jon was a man of his word, even if he did not understand the magnitude of what he was saying at the moment.

"I hope so." Kiera replied, standing to put her long locks into a braid for bed. Glancing at her reflection in the small, dirtied mirror, she began to twist hair together.

"There is another thing I wanted to speak with you about." Jon began, Kiera noted the sudden change of tone in his voice.

She turned expectantly and looked at him, "Is it about us?"

He nodded grimly, "I have told you this once, but we cannot continue spending our nights together. The men whisper things, horrible things about you. I cannot bear to hear them anymore."

When Kiera finished her loose braid, she turned and walked over to Jon until she was standing in front of him. "Why should I care what they have to say. Half the men out there have done worse things than us."

"I swore a vow, Kiera."

There they were, those words that Kiera loathed to hear. "I know you did."

"So why continue?" he whispered.

"Because," she began, but then stopped abruptly. _Don't say it. It's not the right time,_ she thought to herself.

"Because?"

"You know how I feel, or have you forgotten? I can't just cast my feelings for you aside and push you away. I need you, Jon."

He closed his eyes while Kiera watched him intently, "If anyone found out the things that have passed between us, we will both be hung."

"Do you really believe that Mormont will hang you for kissing a girl? Out of all the men here, you are better than every single one of them. I hear them in the hall sometimes, whispering about how they sneak off into Mole's town. Nobody here is pure."

Jon's face grew red as he looked up at Kiera. "Please, I cannot-"

Kiera sighed and walked away from him into her small washroom. She hated Castle Black and the Night's Watch. She hated how it served as a barrier between her and Jon, _if only things weren't so complicated._

He stood in the doorway, watching her with a dark look in his eyes as she prepared herself for sleep. "Do you want me to leave?" he asked softly, sadness lingering in his voice.

"No, but since it is your _duty,_ you can go."

"This is not what I want." he said to her.

"But it's what you are doing."

"I'm doing the right thing, Kiera. You must understand that." he implored, grabbing her arm and forcing her to look at him.

She tipped her chin up, inches from his face. His breathing grew quicker, and her heart stammered. "Do you want to know what is right?" she whispered, resting her hand with his.

He tried to pull away but she stepped closer, "You and I."

"Does this feel wrong?" she asked as she traced his jawline with her fingertips, and down his chest.

"No." he whispered hoarsely.

She looked up at him, as he placed his hand on her cheek. She moved her mouth to Jon's ear, uttering the words that would surely ruin them both.

"Break your vows."

Jon pulled away, inches from Kiera's face, with black eyes and a dark expression. There was a pregnant moment of silence, an unspoken conversation taking place as Jon searched her eyes. Kiera had felt that he had seen her soul, the way that he was looking at her.

And in that moment, Jon made the decision that would affect the rest of his life. Pushing Kiera against the wall, his lips collided with hers in a swift, heated movement. Hands feverishly grasped Kiera's waist as mouthed moved together in a passionate dance.

She let her hands find his curls, the curls she had admired the second she saw him. His body was pressed so tightly against hers, Kiera thought she might explode with fire.

Together, they found their way to the bed. Kiera broke off the kiss and looked up at Jon. His hair was violently tangled, and there was a red flush to his cheeks that made her want to kiss him again. She imagined that she looked the same, if not worse.

"Kiera, if we don't stop-"

"I don't want you to stop." she said, grabbing his arm and leading him on the bed. The torch provided little light to the room, and the shadows of flame danced off of Jon's back as his body topped Kiera's, kissing down her neck.

Kiera began to tug at the strings of his tunic, one by one, they became loose as smooth pale skin surfaced. She pushed it off of Jon and it fell on to the stone floor beneath them. He paused and stared at her, as if in awe of what was happening. She let her eyes roam the entire length of his upper body, watching as the toned muscles coiled as Jon took in ragged breaths.

"I love you." she told him, with no doubt or hesitation.

Jon smiled down at her, forgetting his vows, his responsibilities and honor. He loved her, and she loved him.

He lowered his head until it rested next to hers, "And I love you."

Those tiny words made every cell in Kiera's body burst with fire. She let her eyes flutter closed, and pulled Jon closer, kissing his neck. He sat up, pulling her with him. With hands shaking ever so slightly, he began to pull at the strings of her tunic. Kiera could tell that he was inexperienced, and she laughed softly when a frown surfaced on his face at her tangled strings.

She grabbed his hands and gave them a reassuring squeeze, "Let me."

Breathing in, she untangle the strings, and let the tunic fall beneath her shoulders. The cold air was a shock to her bare chest, and to Jon. He stared at her for the longest of moments, taking in her body. In any other time, with any other man, Kiera would have covered up. But, she felt no embarrassment with Jon, only love.

"You're the most beautiful woman." he whispered hoarsely.

Kiera laughed and pulled Jon on top of her, pressing herself against him. Hands cupped her breasts, and pulled away at the last remaining clothing she wore. Before he removed his pants, he looked at Kiera, lying on the bed with messy hair and reddened cheeks. There were so many times he would dream of this, and wake up with shame in his heart. Now, there was no feeling of shame or dishonor. He _loved_ her, and that was enough.

"Once we do this, there is no going back." he told her earnestly.

She laughed, a beautiful sound to Jon, "You act like we are heading to our deaths."

"We are."

Looking at each other, both began to smile. Kiera pulled herself up and collided her lips with Jon, tracing her tongue on his lower lip, before his mouth parted and they became enraptured with each other once more.

Jon's teeth found her neck, and then her chest, trailing tiny marks down her body. She covered her mouth as she moaned, reminding herself that someone could hear them at any moment.

"Jon." she whispered, grabbing a fistful of his hair as he descended lower. She _needed_ him, now.

He sat up and met her gaze, "Pants." she said, tugging at his trousers.

Jon grinned, and descended upon her once more.

There may have been chaos settling in the rest of the world, but in this moment, Jon and Kiera were blind to it all.

xxx

I have MANY things to say, so grab some food and sit back for a while. First, I changed the point of view. This is because I grew tired of first person, and honestly it bored me. I know it is a big change, but for the sake of continuing I had to do it. If you don't like it, I am sorry. This story is like a never ending science experiment, and I feel like if I write in third person, I will be more engaged in the story. Secondly, this story is over two years old! WoW! I did not even realize until I looked at the date. I was going the change the starting date of this chapter, but I decided to leave it. I literally can't believe I started this in JULY and am just now uploading it in September. Let me explain what a day in my life is like.

First, I get up early and go to the gym before heading to college. After I'm out of classes, I do homework for hours….HOURS. I have so much work it is overwhelming all the time. Then on top of this, I work long hours when I don't have class, so when I get home I am far too exhausted to even think about writing. For weeks my schedule has been overflowing with work and school and work and school. I like to write because it relieves my stress, but lately I have been too stressed to even write lol. So there you go, I am a very busy woman with no social life (literally none) and an enormous workload.

I hope that someone at least enjoys the new style of the chapter, it had to be done honestly. Please share your thoughts in the reviews! I really appreciate feedback even if you are yelling at me. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, and everyone who has favorited and followed this story, I love seeing email updates. It's like a little sprinkle of joy in my day lol. Anyways, I will see you….hopefully soon! :)


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